Snape's Daughter
by TearStainedAshes
Summary: Lily brings Snape a surprise the night she dies: his daughter. But, since Snape can barely take care of himself, he brings her to the Malfoy family. She is raised thinking she's a Malfoy but when she gets to Hogwarts, things start to get... interesting. Cover photo copyright mysticalhippie @ deviantart, used with permission.
1. The Mistake

**Chapter 1 – The Mistake**

"Please, Sev! You have to help me!"

"Why should I, Lily? You show up, unannounced, after ignoring me for years and you just expect me to help you as if nothing's happened?"

"Sev, you're my best friend…"

"Don't play the 'best friend' card! It won't work this time!"

"Sev—"

"And what about what happened between us that night two years ago? What about _that?_"

"That's what I'm trying to talk about!" Severus just snorted and crossed his arms across his chest. "I never talked to you after what happened because I felt so horrible. And…there's a very good reason for that." Severus just waited for her excuse, his trademark scowl growing deeper and darker as the silence dragged on.

"Lily, if you're not going to tell me—"

"I was pregnant," she finally blurted.

Severus's composed scowl fell apart and his gaze dropped to Lily's stomach.

"You…you were?" Black eyes met tear-filled green. "Was it mine?"

"She still is, Sev."

"She? I…We…have a daughter?" Lily nodded. "Where is she? Can I meet her?" Lily smiled and pulled out her wand and whispered a spell that sounded like a lullaby. She grabbed at thin air but as she pulled her hand away a stroller appeared and Lily was holding a cloak.

"It's James's invisibility cloak," she explained. Severus merely nodded and stared at the little girl in the stroller, wrapped in layers of blankets. She was sleeping soundly and was making little gurgling noises.

"She has your eyes, Sev," Lily whispered. "Well, not as dark as yours as they are as bright as mine, but they're definitely your eyes." Lily bent down to pick up the blanketed bundle and cradled her in her arms. "She's so much like you, Sev. She's got your grumpy personality, she's as stubborn as a mule, she's a fussy eater…" Lily choked back a sob as she continued. "I can already tell she'll become a tall skinny beanpole like you. She'll have your brilliant mind, be a wiz at potions, she'll probably even be in Slytherin. She's too stubborn to be a Gryffindor like me."

"Lily, why are you doing this? Why now after two years?"

"Because, Sev, it's not safe anymore. Voldemort is growing stronger by the second and I'm scared for my children. I'm trying to contact Dumbledore to get Harry somewhere safe, but he has yet to answer my owl."

"Lily, are you sure about this?"

"Sev, I want my daughter to know her real father just in case—"

"Lil—"

"—I don't make it out of this war alive."

"Don't say things like that!" Severus snapped. "You're strong Lily! You are the bravest person I know."

Lily began to cry and Severus instinctly wrapped his arms around her, careful not to smother their daughter, still in Lily's arms.

"Everything will be alright, Lily. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep Sev," she whispered. She wiggled out of his embrace and handed her daughter over to him. "Now, take care of her until I come back." She gave a weak smile. "See? I can be positive Sev."

"What's her name?" Severus asked as he gazed into the face of his sleeping daughter.

"Dakota Rose."

"She's beautiful. Just like her mother," he smiled.

"Thank you Sev." Lily turned to leave but stopped short. "Sev, if I don't come back… keep her safe."

"I will Lily."

"I… I love you, Sev," she whispered.

"I love you too Lily. Always."

"Happy Halloween," she smiled half-heartedly. Then she apparated back to her safe house and Severus was left alone with his—their—daughter.

**…::-::…**

Later that evening, Severus felt Voldemort's summons and knew that Lily was in danger. He knew he had to follow the Dark Lord's order but he couldn't leave his daughter alone without protection. After placing multiple protection charms around his house in Spinner's End, he apparated to the location the Dark Lord had summoned his Death Eaters to. However, when he arrived, he realized all too late that he was in Godric's Hollow standing in front of the Potter's safe house.

"No!" he gasped. The quaint home was smouldering and a huge chunk of the second floor was gone. A baby's wailing cry was coming from the gaping hole in the building.

"Lily!" Severus yelled, hoping there was a chance that she was still alive. He began running toward the house when she didn't answer. "Lily! Lily!" He burst through the door and ran up the stairs, jumping over James Potter's lifeless body in the process. When Severus reached the nursery he found the source of the crying—but he also found Lily Evan's body.

All motor functioning in Severus' body seemed to stop. He crumpled in a heap on the floor and began sobbing, crying Lily's name between gasps. He crawled toward her and pulled her lifeless body into his lap and buried his face in her red hair, sobbing as loudly as her son who was incredibly still alive.

"Severus." A cool, bony hand rested on his shoulder.

"A-Albus. Y-You p-p-promised," he stammered.

"Severus, the Aurors will be arriving soon. It wouldn't do well for you to be here."

"Only a few hours ago—"

"She was at your doorstep with your daughter."

_Of course Albus would know about Rose. Albus knows everything about everyone._

"You should go to her. Keep her safe, like you promised."

"Yes, because you're one to lecture on keeping promises," Severus spat. "You promised to protect Lily, keep her safe from the Dark Lord if I would become your spy. But look where that got us! Lily is dead, the Dark Lord has vanished, and now only Lily's children survive! So don't you _dare_ lecture me on keeping promises when you yourself don't practice what you preach!"

"I know you're distraught, Severus. But you must leave if your daughter is to be kept safe. Do it for Lily, as Rose is a part of her too."

"She was the love of my life, Albus. I can't leave her like this."

"I'll allow you time to say your goodbyes, but your daughter needs you Severus."

"Stop reminding me of my bloody daughter!"

"Severus."

He sighed and gazed down at Lily's lifeless body, her eyes frozen with fear. She was beautiful, even in death, and this would be the last time he'd ever see her. She was gone, murdered by the man he once thought to be his greatest mentor.

"I'm so sorry, Lily," he whispered, stroking a lock of her flaming red hair behind her ear. "This is all my fault. But I promise I'll take care of our little girl. She'll be somewhere safe. I love you so much, I always will."

Albus rested a hand on Severus' shoulder again and he knew that the other Aurors had arrived. He placed a gentle kiss against Lily's dead lips before he finally disapparated away.

**…::-::…**

Severus held his daughter close against him as he neared Malfoy Manor. He'd promised Lily that he would keep their daughter safe, but with the Dark Lord missing he wouldn't be able to provide that safety without feeling safe himself.

"Severus Snape," Narcissa Malfoy purred when he entered the parlor of the manor. "What brings you here so soon after the tragedy at Godric's Hollow?"

"I have come to ask a favor of you and Lucius."

"Merlin's beard! Not another one!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "First Bella and now you? What could you possibly want?"

"I need you…to raise…my…daughter," he stammered.

"You're _daughter?_" Narcissa leapt out of her chair and ran to Severus. When she saw the bundle in his arms she squealed with delight. "Severus she's adorable! When did that happen?"

"About two years ago."

"Gah! Why didn't you tell me?" she squealed, playfully slapping his shoulder. "And Lucius, too, of course."

"Because I only just found out she existed a few hours ago." When Narcissa gave him a blank stare he elaborated. "I…a couple of years ago, I…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know _how_ you did it. I just want to know _when_, with whom, and how you _just_ found out!"

"Well, it was May 1, 1978 with Lily Evans and I only just found out because Lily kept her a secret from me for two years."

"Wait, Evans the _Mudblood_ Evans?"

"Don't use that word," Severus growled.

"Oh for God's sake Severus, grow a pair!" Lucius said as he entered the room. "It's what she was and now her blasted children are tainted with her dirty blood. Those filthy Mudbloods will be our downfall."

Severus ground his teeth together and clenched his hands into fists.

"Um, Lucius, Severus has come to ask a favor of us," Narcissa explained.

"Hrm? And what would that be?" he asked as he poured himself a glass of fire whisky.

"He needs us to take care of his daughter."

The large gulp of whisky Lucius had just taken was suddenly spit across the living room. He then broke into fits of coughing, choking, and laughter.

"His…his _daughter?_ Oh my Wizard God! When the hell did that happen?"

"Two years ago," Narcissa answered when she saw that Severus was still too furious he couldn't speak. "Miss Evans is the mother."

"Oh my God! You fucked the Mudblood? Wow! Not even I would have guessed that you'd sink that low! Holy shit!"

"Lucius, dear, he needs us to raise her."

"_What?_ Fuck no!"

"Watch your language!" Narcissa snapped. She took Rose out of Severus' arms and cooed at the little bundle of joy. As soon as his daughter was safe in Narcissa's arms, Severus launched himself at Lucius and, instead of using his wand, he used his fists. He knocked Lucius to the ground and began ramming his fists onto Lucius' face. They tousled for a few minutes, Lucius trying to get Severus off him as he didn't know how to fight without a wand, and Severus continuing to hit every inch of Lucius' face that wasn't protected by his arms.

"Severus! Ow! God, Severus stop!" Lucius screamed as Severus continued to land punches on his face.

"You son of a bitch!" Severus screamed, taking hold of Lucius' shirt collar and pulling him closer. "Don't you _dare_ talk about my daughter like she's some piece of scum on your shoe! She is a part of me and Lily and you will treat her with the respect she deserves!"

"Holy shit Severus! What has gotten into you?"

"It's that fatherly instinct that _you_ seem to lack," Severus spat. "I can't wait to see how my child turns out when she's raised in this house!"

"Narcissa and Dobby have been raising Draco for the past year and he's turned out fine!"

"So far!" Severus countered. "Wait until he gets older and he becomes just as fucked up as you because he had a father who treated him like he didn't exist!"

"Severus!" Narcissa gasped, holding Rose closer to her as if it would protect the child from the words being said.

"I'm sorry Narcissa. I didn't mean to undermine your parenting skills."

"None taken, but I do wish the two of you would watch your language in front of the precious darling."

"Precious… Darling?" Severus whispered as he stood up. Lucius sat up and wiped some blood from his lip and scoffed when he looked at the blood smeared across his hand.

"Narcissa has always wanted a daughter," he explained as he stood up himself. "So every little girl she meets becomes a 'precious darling.'"

"And a precious little darling she is Severus!" Narcissa cooed. "She looks just like you!"

"Narcissa, we can't take care of another child! We've already got Draco and now we're watching over Elladora… We just don't have the space!"

"Shut up Lucius! We live in a huge estate! We have plenty of space! And Ella isn't that much of a hassle! Besides, Ella is only our niece, but this little angel we can raise as our own!"

"I said _no_, Narcissa," Lucius growled, standing his ground. Narcissa didn't hear him as Rose had just woken up and she was babbling to the little girl.

"Lucius, my friend," Severus said as he slapped a hand down on his shoulder, "she's already too far gone. I'm afraid you've lost this one."

"Damn it Narcissa! You put that child down this instant! I won't stand to have another child in this house!"

Narcissa just continued babbling to Rose, who was eating up all the attention and was gurgling right back. Lucius, frustrated at being ignored and quite obviously losing the battle, stormed out of the room. Severus heard him yell, "DOBBY!" followed by a small scream as Lucius had taken his frustration out on the poor house elf.

"What's her name Severus?" Narcissa asked as she tickled Rose's stomach.

"Dakota Rose," he whispered, unable to hide the smile that spread across his lips as he said her name.

"That's a pretty name," Narcissa cooed and Rose laughed with glee. Severus choked back a sob at the sight. "Are you sure you want us to raise her?"

"Yes," he answered briskly, his mask of indifference back on. "I can't take care of a child Narcissa. I wouldn't be able to provide for her. Plus, with my new position as Potions Master at Hogwarts, I wouldn't be able to take care of her very well anyway. And she reminds me too much of Lily and I just can't deal with that right now."

"I understand," Narcissa empathized. "I'll take good care of her Severus."

"I know you will Narcissa. Just, don't let Lucius corrupt her. I'd like to think she'd be raised without too much of his 'influence.'"

"I'll do my best."

Rose made a gurgling sound and Narcissa began fussing over her again. Severus looked at his daughter, _Lily's_ daughter, and his mask and composure came crumbling down. He crumpled in a heap on the floor and sobbed. Narcissa knelt down beside him and placed a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"Hold her, Severus," she whispered as she handed Rose over to him. Of course, this only made him sob harder but Narcissa knew that he needed closure and a proper goodbye.

Severus clutched his daughter in his arms and said between sobs, "I'm so sorry. This is for the best, it is. Narcissa will take good care of you. I can't, but I wish I could. You're the one piece of Lily that I have left. I… I love you, my precious Rose." He hugged his daughter close and she giggled as she grabbed his nose. Severus laughed with a joy he hadn't felt in years. This girl was so like Lily, trying to make him smile when all he wanted to do was be a grump. This child was his and Lily's, she was _theirs_, and she was perfect. He wished he could watch her grow up, be a part of her life; but he couldn't provide for a child when he could barely provide for himself.

"I should go," he whispered. He handed Rose back to Narcissa and swiftly stood up. He looked down at Narcissa who was still seated on the floor; Narcissa looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. "Don't tell her about me, alright? I wouldn't want her to think… I don't know. I just think she'd be better off knowing I didn't exist."

"But what about when she goes to Hogwarts?"

"We'll deal with that when the time comes," he answered, staring out the window. "After all, Dumbledore will probably alert me when it's her year."

"Yes. That man does have a knack for giving you unexpected news." They both chuckled and Narcissa stood up. "Goodbye, Severus. Take care."

"Goodbye, Narcissa," he nodded. He looked down at Rose and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Goodbye my precious Rose. Daddy loves you." Rose reached for his nose again and giggled with pure joy.

"She loves you too, Severus," Narcissa sniffed, wiping away tears.

"Take care of her Narcissa," Severus whispered. "Oh, and don't tell Lucius about any of this. If he found out I'd been crying I'd never live it down."

"I promise Severus. To both," she chuckled.

Severus nodded and disapparated. Narcissa stared at the spot where he once stood and then smiled down at Rose.

"Now, little one, you are a Malfoy," she grinned. "But, Dakota Rose is not a proper name for a Malfoy. If I'd had a daughter of my own, I would have named her for my sister. So, my beautiful angel, you are now Beatrix Mallory Malfoy."

And the little girl smiled.


	2. Growing Up a Malfoy

**Hello all! Here is the second chapter! Sorry it's so short, but that just means that more will come sooner than you think! Chapter 3 is already in the works and will hopefully be posted on or before Halloween.**

**HP characters belong to J.K. Rowling, Beatrix (Trixie) belongs to me, and Elladora (Ella) belongs to my friend tigerlili48.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 – Growing Up a Malfoy<strong>

"Come back Draco! Your makeup isn't done!" Ella yelled.

"And I have to do your hair!" Trixie shouted in agreement.

"NO! MUMMEEEEEE!" Draco wailed as he ran down the hallway, a bright pink ball gown billowing behind him.

"Draco! Draco! Draco!" the two girls chanted.

"NO! NO! NO!" he screamed. When they finally reached the parlor the girls stopped and hid behind a statue in the hallway whereas Draco ran to his mother's chair and right into her lap and she screamed, startled.

"Eek! Merlin's beard, Draco! What do you want?" Then she finally took in Draco's appearance: mascara on his lashes, bright blue eye shadow that went past his eyebrows, hot pink blush, and bright red lipstick that was smeared all across his face, not to mention the pink dress. "Draco, what on _earth_ happened to you?"

"Ella and Trixie played dress-up on me! And then they played salon!" he wailed.

"Elladora! Beatrix!" Narcissa roared, holding a blubbering Draco close to her.

"Uh-oh. She used our full names," Trixie whispered. "That means we're in biiiiiiiiig trouble."

"Girls, I _know_ you're hiding in the hallway. Get out here, NOW!"

"Mommy's very angry," Trixie whimpered.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over the two girls and they froze. Narcissa was glaring down at them, her wand at the ready in case they tried to run away. Trixie began crying but Ella stood her ground.

"Girls, what did you do to poor Draco?" Narcissa hissed.

"We put him in a dress and put makeup on him," Ella answered matter-of-factly. "We would have done his hair too if he hadn't run away."

"Girls, I'm glad you're trying to be creative, but I don't appreciate it when you steal my makeup and put it all over yourselves or Draco. Plus, I don't like you torturing Draco period!"

"But it's so much fun!" Ella protested.

"Not for Draco it isn't. You're six years old! Grow up!" Narcissa screeched. Ella stood defiant while Trixie continued to sniffle in the corner. Narcissa took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair. "Ok, why don't you two go do something else while I clean Draco up and calm him down? Ella, you go practice your Parseltongue with your cobra, Nyx. Trixie, you go practice potion brewing since you seem to have a real knack for that."

The girls scurried off to their room and Narcissa set to work cleaning Draco up.

**…::-::…**

Ella slammed the door behind them.

"Gah! Sometimes I really hate Aunt Cissy!" she screamed.

"At least she didn't yell at us like she usually does," Trixie said, grabbing her cauldron and her Beginning Potions for Young Wizards book. "I think I'll try making a Dreamless Sleep potion today," she mumbled to herself. Ella grabbed Nyx from her tank and lied down on her bed, Nyx resting on her stomach.

_"What's wrong Mistress?"_ Nyx asked.

_"Oh, Aunt Cissy is being mean,"_ Ella sighed.

_"You want me to bite her?"_ Nyx asked, her body squirming with delight?

_"No, because then I'd have to deal with Uncle Lucius all the time and he's just weird. Besides, at least Aunt Cissy talks to me and acknowledges my existence."_

_"That's true. But Uncle Lucius isn't so bad. I mean, at least he doesn't treat you the way he treats his own children."_

_"Yes, thank Wizard God for that,"_ Ella laughed. _"But I think Uncle Lucius is afraid of me."_

_"And he should be!"_ Nyx hissed. _"You are the daughter of the most powerful wizard in the world and the witch who was most faithful and loyal to him! You are to be respected and feared for you shall do great things!"_

_"Thank you Nyx,"_ Ella smiled. Nyx smiled and puffed up her hood, thankful for the praise. She slithered up to Ella's head and nestled between her shoulder and her neck.

_"Nap time for Nyx,"_ Ella laughed. Nyx merely snuggled closer to Ella and purred the way only a snake could. Ella picked up her familiar and put her back in her tank under the heat lamp. She then watched Trixie brew her potion to near perfection…until it blew up in her face.

**…::-::…**

"When are our letters supposed to get here?" Trixie whined. "I want to go to Hogwarts so bad and kick butt at potions!"

"And I want to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Ella agreed.

"Give it time, girls," Narcissa hushed them. "Owl mail can be a little slow, but they'll get here."

"I still think they should go to a pure-blood all-girls school," Lucius grumbled.

"But Hogwarts is closer to home Father," Trixie explained for the hundredth time. "That way Mum can send us treats and such to help us through our first year." She beamed at Narcissa who smiled back.

"Aunt Cissy! Aunt Cissy! The mail's coming! I can see the owls!" Ella yelled from the window. Trixie rushed to her side and they began screeching and giggling, calling the two owls to them. A pure white owl landed on Trixie's outstretched arm while a black owl with beady red eyes landed on Ella's. The girls snatched the letters out of the owls' mouths and promptly gave them treats before they flew away.

"Look Mum! I finally got my Hogwarts letter! And it's from Professor Dumbledore himself!" Trixie exclaimed, jumping around the room in pure joy.

"Aunt Cissy, we _have_ to go to Diagon Alley, like, _now!_" Ella insisted.

"But it's five o'clock in the afternoon," Narcissa said. "We'll go first thing in the morning for robe fittings, school book shopping, and whatnot."

"Aww! But I want to go _now!_" Ella whined. "Please Aunt Cissy?"

"No, dear. Go practice your Parseltongue and tell Nyx all about it. Go make a list of everything you _need_ for school, then make a list of everything you _want_ for school."

"OK!" Trixie said jubilantly. She grabbed Ella by her wrist and dragged her to their room where she promptly sat down and began making her Hogwarts list. Ella, not wanting to get sucked into her cousin's nerdiness, sat in front of Nyx's tank and watched her eat the rat she'd put in there earlier.

_"Waf's da madder?"_ Nyx asked, her mouth still full.

_"I want to go to Diagon Alley for my Hogwarts stuff but Aunt Cissy says we can't go until tomorrow,"_ Ella sighed.

_"Are you _sure_ you don't want me to bite her?"_ Nyx asked after she'd fully swallowed her meal.

_"Yes, because my first year at Hogwarts would be lonely without her,_" Ella answered. _"I just wish my real mom were here."_

"Hey, Ella, can you think of anything else we might want to get at Diagon Alley tomorrow?"

_"I hate your cousin,"_ Nyx hissed. _"She's too nerdy to be a Malfoy."_

_"Hey! Be nice to her! She's the closest family I have, other than Aunt Cissy. But maybe it's time for the Malfoy line to have someone smart in Hogwarts for once!"_

"What are you talking about?" Trixie asked, appearing at Ella's shoulder.

"Diagon Alley," Ella said simply, as it wasn't a total lie.

"Oh, ok. Good," Trixie smiled.

_"For someone so smart, how can she be so stupid?"_ Nyx whispered.

_"Shut up Nyx!"_ Ella hissed.

"Is there anything wrong?" Trixie asked, concerned.

"No. It's just that Nyx wants a bigger tank for when she's brought to Hogwarts," Ella bluffed.

"Oh my God! I completely forgot about Nyx!" Trixie exclaimed as she slapped a hand to her forehead. "Time for a new list!"

_"Nerd," _Nyx laughed.

"MUM! I NEED YOUR HELP!" Trixie yelled as she ran out of the room, a stack of papers and quills in her arms.

_"Your cousin needs some help."_

**…::-::…**

Severus whispered the password to enter the Headmaster's office. As he climbed the spiral staircase he found himself thinking about Rose once again. He wondered what she looked like, how she talked, when she would be coming to Hogwarts. No sooner had the thought come to his mind than he realized just how old his daughter would be that year. He quickly did the math in his head once…twice…three times before he was sure.

He sprinted up the stairs then and burst into the Headmaster's office, panting and very much out of breath.

"Now, Severus, when I summoned you to my office I didn't think you'd sprint here. I thought you'd be five minutes late, like always," Albus smiled.

"Fashionably late, Albus," Severus corrected him. "But the reason for my haste is that I know why you've summoned me."

"Do you, now?" Albus asked, cocking a questioning eyebrow.

"Rose is about to begin her first year at Hogwarts," he stated, his eyes wide with a mixture of hope, shock, and fear.

"Yes, Severus," Albus nodded. "I just sent out her owl along with Elladora's and they should be arriving soon."

"When will they be going to Diagon Alley?"

"Tomorrow I would presume. It is a little late in the day to go to Diagon Alley, especially shopping for a first-year student."

"I'd like to see her, Albus. If only to see how she's grown up. I swear to you, I will not let her see me."

Albus looked into Severus' pleading eyes and saw a spark of something he hadn't seen in Severus in a very long time: love.

"You love her?"

"Of course I do! She's my daughter! She's a part of me and Lily! I will always love her!"

Albus smiled. He rather liked this side of Severus.

"Then you may go. However," he said, holding up a hand to stop Severus' whoop of joy. "You must not let her see you, nor shall you make contact with any of the Malfoys to ask about her. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Albus."

"You are dismissed," he said, waving a dismissive hand.

"Thank you, Albus," Severus smiled. He ran from the room and the Headmaster laughed when he heard loud whoops echoing down the stairs.


	3. Diagon Alley

**Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you are being safe and smart this holiday weekend. That's the Sober in October part of me speaking, but I do hope if you are partying that you're being safe and smart about it.**

**So, since Halloween is on a Monday and I actually have classes, I am attending all of my classes in full costume. And what am I dressed as, you may ask? Why, a Slytherin of course! What else would I be? :D I even have Professor Snape's wand from The Noble Collection to complete my ensemble. My friend tigerlili48 is also a Slytherin this year, so we're technically going as our characters from our stories (hers being Elladora and mine being Beatrix). What a wonderful Halloween this will be, especially since I get to spend it with my cute math professor! Don't worry, he's not old enough to be my father, but probably my brother as he's 10 years older than me. But still, he's the greatest math professor of ever and adorable to boot!**

**But I digress… So, I hope you all enjoy this latest installment—I rushed to get this in on time, as promised. I'm not sure when chapter four will be posted, but I am currently writing it now. It all depends on if school work gets in the way. Hope you enjoy and enjoy the anticipation of the next installment! :D**

**Love,**

**TSA**

**Harry Potter characters belong to J.K Rowling, Beatrix belongs to me, and Elladora belongs to tigerlili48.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 – Diagon Alley<strong>

The Malfoys arrived at Diagon Alley precisely at 10 a.m. the next morning. Ella and Trixie had woken the entire family up at 8 a.m. and had pestered them until they finally agreed to leave. The girls were bouncing off the walls with glee; Narcissa had to use the _Petrificus Totalus_ spell on them twice in order for them to travel safely.

"Mummy! Look at all these books!" Beatrix exclaimed when they entered Flourish & Blotts. "Can we get these potions books?"

"Beatrix, you're only a First Year. You don't need an Advanced Potions book just yet. Wait until fourth year."

"Aww. Please Mum? Please?" she begged, holding the book close to her chest.

"I said no, Beatrix. Let's just stick with your basic school books for now." Narcissa pried the book from her daughter's grasp and put it back on the shelf. Beatrix sulked away, disappointed that she wouldn't be able to impress her future potions master.

"However," Narcissa added, not wanting the rest of her daughter's day to be ruined, "maybe it can be a Christmas present."

"Yay! Thank you so much Mum!" Trixie squealed. She then ran around the rest of the store, Hogwarts list in hand, grabbing all of her school books in her arms as she ran through the aisles.

"You spoil that girl too much," Lucius said.

"I know. But she's my baby girl," Narcissa sniffed, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "And now she's all grown up and going to Hogwarts."

"She isn't really ours, Narcissa," Lucius growled. "You shouldn't spoil her so."

"You think I don't know that?" she hissed. "I realise that she is still Severus' daughter, but _we_ raised her. If that doesn't at least make her a semblance of our daughter—"

"Mum! Can we get this?" Beatrix hollered from the second floor. Narcissa looked up to see she was holding yet another potions book. She was beginning to suspect that Beatrix knew who her real parents were but she quickly dismissed the thought. Bea didn't even know Severus existed; not yet anyway.

"Dear, I'm beginning to think that you just want to suck up to your potions professor."

"So what if I do?" Beatrix asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Bea, if you really want to impress your teacher, just show him your skills. You don't need books to seem smart. You _are_ smart."

Beatrix smiled and skipped off into the depths of the store.

"Spoiled," Lucius said under his breath, which earned him an elbow in the ribs from his wife.

**…::-::…**

Severus stood across the street from Flourish & Blotts, careful to stay in the shadows. He had seen the Malfoy family enter the store but had failed to catch a glimpse of his Rose. He watched the door, eager to finally see his little girl all grown up. Then, he finally saw the Malfoys leave the store.

Lucius exited first, a pale blonde boy at his side. Draco was the spitting image of his father: the white-blonde hair, the pale skin, the air of superiority that flowed from him. Severus scoffed at the sight, knowing he would be a Slytherin but that he would be a pain in his arse to teach.

A pale girl with mangy black hair exited next. Severus's heart leapt, but when he looked closer at her face it dropped. Her eyes were too bright and filled with loathing to be his daughter. The girl skulked behind Lucius, her mangled hair covering her vacant expression.

_She must be Bellatrix's daughter, Elladora,_ he thought. _She is the spitting image of her mother, right down to the crazy hair._

Then he saw her.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her black hair shown brilliantly in the sunlight, her thick waves exactly like Lily's. Her smile was as bright and inviting and mesmerizing as her mother's. She looked and moved so much like Lily that his heart ached. She began skipping down the path, her new robes billowing behind her. She was so beautiful, so perfect; she was _his_.

He tailed them to Ollivander's Wand Shop and snuck in to watch the selection process. He hid in the upper level, carefully concealed behind a stack of wand boxes so that he could see his daughter but she couldn't see him.

The girls both went through four wands before Elladora finally found one that agreed with her. His beautiful Rose continued to struggle though. Severus knew it was because Ollivander was using wand cores similar to the Malfoy's. He sighed in disappointment, wishing he could help. But he had promised Dumbledore that he would not make contact with any of the Malfoy's about her, nor would he interfere in such a delicate process.

"Severus Snape," a voice said from behind him. Severus whirled around to see Ollivander himself staring down at him.

"Ollivander," Severus whispered as he stood up. "I was just…I…"

"You're spying on the Malfoys," Ollivander said matter-of-factly. "Why?"

"Because their daughter…she's not really theirs."

"You mean she's adopted?"

"In a sense."

"Well, that explains why the wands haven't been working," the old man mused.

"Have you tried Thestral tail hair?"

"You mean your wand's core?" Severus merely nodded. "Is she yours?"

"You're too smart for your own good Ollivander," Severus smiled weakly.

"She looks a lot like you," the wand maker said. "Who's the mother?"

"Lily Evans," Severus whispered.

"Beautiful girl. Smart as a tack that one," Ollivander smiled. Severus looked down at his hands and laughed. "I'll go try that wand core now. She's brilliant, Severus. I can tell." He smiled weakly and Ollivander walked away, disappearing down the long aisle. Severus laughed quietly to himself again and looked back at his daughter, only to find her staring right back.

**…::-::…**

Shopping for a wand was a lot more difficult than Beatrix thought it would be. Mr. Ollivander had said that the wands choose the wizards, and so far none of the ones he brought seemed to like her. Ella had found hers and Mr. Ollivander had disappeared to search for another wand.

"Mum, is wand shopping always this difficult?" Beatrix asked.

"Oh, yes. I remember shopping for my wand. I tested ten before I finally found mine."

"Oh dear. I don't want to do that!" she groaned. "I want to go look for a pet!"

"Don't worry sweetie. Ollivander's always comes through."

Beatrix sighed and looked around the shop. Wand boxes were stacked everywhere in ways that shouldn't have been possible. She looked up and down the rows of boxes and caught sight of Mr. Ollivander talking with a tall, skinny man dressed all in black.

She watched the man with fascination. She was drawn to his face: his large, hooked nose; his black eyes; his almost vacant expression; how his eyes crinkled when he smiled. She was about to ask her mum if she knew who he was when he turned to look at her. His eyes went wide and he disappeared into thin air.

"Mum! Who was that?" she asked, whipping around.

"Who was who, dear?"

"That man talking to Mr. Ollivander. He was dressed all in black and was really tall and skinny."

_Severus,_ Narcissa thought. _Dumbledore must have told him._ "I don't know dear," she lied. "It could have been anyone."

"Alright my dear Beatrix," Mr. Ollivander said, appearing from behind a stack of boxes. "Try this one."

He opened the box he had in his hand and produced an ebony wand, a dragon-like wing carved at the grip. Beatrix grasped the wand and a pulsating aura of color surrounded her.

"Ah, very good," Mr. Ollivander smiled.

"What's good?" Beatrix asked.

"You've found your wand," Narcissa smiled.

"It's ebony ash, fifteen inches, with Thestral tail hair core," Ollivander explained. He raised an eyebrow at Narcissa who nodded, acknowledging that he knew who Beatrix's real parents were.

"It's amazing," Beatrix whispered in awe, completely oblivious to the silent exchange.

"It is quite an outstanding wand," Narcissa agreed.

"We'll take it," Beatrix smiled. "Well, I kinda have to since it chose me and all."

"Of course dear," Narcissa smiled. Beatrix handed Mr. Ollivander back her wand and then raced out into the street with Ella and Draco tagging along behind.

"Where are we going, Trixie?" Draco hollered.

"We're gonna find me a pet to take to school!" Trixie yelled over her shoulder.

"But I already have Nyx!" Ella protested.

"I didn't say _we_ were getting pets," Trixie said as they stopped outside Magical Menagerie. "I said _I_ was getting a pet."

"Can I help?" Draco asked.

"Really? _You_ want to help _us_?" Ella asked him, her voice full of skepticism.

"Yeah. 'Cuz then I'll get ideas for my first year," he smiled.

"Umm…sure Draco," Trixie mumbled.

Draco skipped into the store and began looking at the rats while Trixie and Ella looked at the birds.

"Are you sure it's safe to be alone with Draco?" Ella whispered. "After all we've done to him?"

"Why are _you_ so worried, Ella?" Trixie asked. "You are the daughter of the most powerful wizard of all time! He can't touch you."

"Yeah, but you're his sister. Who's gonna protect you?"

"Mum will. She always will."

The girls shrugged off their suspicions and continued mulling about the store. They looked at the wide range of birds before Trixie decided she was a cat person and began cooing over the cute little kittens. She picked up each one before deciding on a little black and white kitten that had been following her and mewing to her the whole time.

"Ella, go get Mum please. I've found my pet," Trixie smiled. Ella skipped away only to be replaced by Draco who was holding a pure white kitten.

"Whatcha gonna call him? Or her?" he asked.

"I'm not sure yet. But he's just so darn cute!" The kitten mewed in agreement.

"He talks to you."

"Yes, he does," Trixie smiled. She held the kitten up close to her face and touched her nose to his. The kitten nibbled at her nose and pawed at her hair.

"We should get cat toys and treats an' stuff," Draco said, mimicking Trixie's action with his own kitten. Unfortunately, all he got was a scratch across the cheek.

"Stupid animal," he muttered as he set it back in the cage. The siblings then puttered around the store, grabbing a travel crate, food and treats, dishes, toys, and a bright green collar.

"Merlin's beard Beatrix!" Narcissa exclaimed when she finally caught up to her daughter. "What have you fallen in love with this time?"

"A cute little kitten" she answered, holding said kitten up for her mother to see.

"And what does Draco have?"

"Cat stuff," he answered. "Food 'n treats, dishes, toys, brushes—"

"What about a litter box and litter?" Narcissa asked. "Taking care of a cat is a lot of responsibility, Bea. Are you sure about this?"

"Of course I am Mum! I want a pet at school so I'm not so lonely. This cute little kitty will keep me company." She held the kitten close to her chest and it snuggled closer to her as if to prove how loyal it would be to her.

"It already seems to be attached to you, too," Narcissa sighed. "OK, fine. You may get the kitten. But let's go get the litter box and litter for the poor dear. Let's not have him have an accident while on the train without a proper place to go."

"Whatcha gonna call him?" Draco asked again as he and Ella crowded around Trixie. The kitten mewed and the three awed at its adorableness.

"I thought I'd try my hand at a Muggle-like name," she said.

"Why in Wizard God's name would you do that?" Ella asked. "You are a pureblood witch! You have no ties to Muggles whatsoever!"

"I know, but some of the wizarding names for pets are crazy. Like that one orange cat in the corner over there, his name is Crookshanks. Who would want to name their pet _that_?" The cat in question simply stared them down until they all looked away, a slight shiver running down their spines.

"I think that cat has condemned us to death," Draco whispered. The three burst out laughing and looked back at the cat, which only made them laugh harder when they saw its expression hadn't changed in the slightest.

"Oh my Wizard God," Trixie gasped, wiping tears from her eyes. "I hadn't laughed that hard in ages. Thank you Draco." Her brother beamed at the appreciation. "Now, about naming this cute little kitten. What are those black and white cookies that Muggles seem to like so much?"

"Oreos?" Draco suggested.

"Yes! That's it! But Draco, how did you know that?" Trixie asked.

"The telly picked up a Muggle station and I saw an advertisement for them," he explained. "It was an interesting show called Channel Four News. It was quite fascinating really."

"Well, my precious little kitten," Trixie said, holding the kitten up so she could look him square in the eye, "you are now named Oreo and you are mine."

The kitten mewed in acknowledgement and Trixie hugged her new pet close.

**…::-::…**

When Severus disapparated he didn't know exactly where he was going; all he knew was that he needed to disappear fast. When he reappeared he looked at his surroundings and realized that he was at the Spot. He felt his heart break when he realized he was standing in the exact spot where his daughter was conceived. If only he had known then what he knew now.

He knelt down to run his fingers through the grass and he relived the memory of that blissful afternoon. He lied down and let the memory flood back, finally allowing himself to remember that day. Lily had looked so beautiful that day, the way the sun shone on her brilliant red hair. She had finally agreed to see him after so long without talking; ever since he'd called her that dreadful name. He had never forgiven himself for that but it looked like she was at least willing to try.

They had talked about all that had happened since they left school: her finding a place in the Order of the Phoenix, her marriage to James Potter, her regrets for how she treated him in school after that day. He apologized up and down so many times he'd lost count, but she had finally forgiven him. She even confessed that she only began dating James in the first place to make him jealous.

"_I've always loved you," she whispered. She hung her head in shame, a lone tear making its way down her rosy cheek. Severus wiped it away with his thumb, holding her face in the palm of his hand. She looked up at him and smiled. He loved her smile; he could gaze into it all day and never grow bored of seeing it._

"_I've always loved you too, Lily. I've loved you for so long I can't remember a time when I didn't," he confessed. Her brilliant smile faded into a look of shock as the realization sunk in. She stared deep into his eyes and suddenly kissed him with such passion that he was thrown backwards and she was on top of him._

Severus smiled at the memory of what happened next and closed his eyes against the blaring sun. He allowed himself to remember every detail, from what her touch felt like to the taste of her lips to the sheer perfection of how she seemed to meld with him in every way.

"Settle down, Severus. One might get ideas," a voice said from above. Severus' eyes snapped open to see Dumbledore standing over him, a coy smile on his lips. Severus followed Albus' gaze and promptly stood up to better hide his growing condition.

"My apologies, Albus. I was merely remembering a time with Lily."

"As I can clearly see," the man smiled.

"Albus, please. You're not helping."

"So, did you see your beloved daughter?"

"Yes, and she is so beautiful Albus. She looks so much like Lily but I can see myself in her too. Her hair and eyes mostly, but everything else is Lily." Severus smiled at the image of his daughter, skipping merrily through Diagon Alley, shopping for a wand.

"I know that she saw you, Severus." Severus' good mood dropped in a millisecond.

"It wasn't my fault Albus. I wasn't paying attention and never thought she would see me. I got caught up in the moment and—"

"Relax, Severus," Albus said, holding up a hand. "I know what happened in Ollivander's. I know that you told him about your daughter and that he should use the Thestral tail hair core. I know it was an accident and you never meant for it to happen, but it did. I'm afraid I can't let you see her again until she enters Hogwarts."

"That's fair, Albus," Severus nodded. "After all, school starts in a few weeks, so it shouldn't be that long of a wait."

"Yes. I shall leave you alone with your thoughts now, Severus." Albus turned to leave but said, "I expect you back at Hogwarts before nightfall."

"Yes Mother," Severus smiled. Albus laughed and disapparated back to Hogwarts.

Severus lied back down in the grass and watched the clouds passing by in the breeze. His thoughts drifted back to that afternoon and he closed his eyes to relish the memories.

A lone tear slid down his cheek and he could have sworn he felt Lily whisk it away with her thumb.

* * *

><p><strong>Before I forget, yes, the cat Beatrix gets is based off of my own cat. To get a better idea of what he looks like there's a picture on my DeviantArt account. Just go to www. deviant art .com (minus the spaces) and search for TearStainedAshes (it's my name for practically everything, so I'm pretty easy to find). I've got some doodles on there as well and I've also decided to post this story on my DA too. So, now you can check me out on there and I'll hopefully be posting some new photos after Thanksgiving break as I'll get some drawing and writing done during that wonderful weekend.<strong>


	4. Entering Hogwarts

**Greetings all! This chapter took **_**forever**_** to write! I'm talking 20 handwritten pages before I typed it up. Yes, I hand-write my stories before I type them. That way it's easier for me to see where I've been in the story and where I want it to go from there. I have an entire notebook dedicated to the writing of this story, and I carry it with me everywhere, so when inspiration strikes I can whip it out and start writing.**

**So, thank you to the readers who have been so kind so write reviews for this story. I really appreciate your comments and praise for the story. And also those who have added me to story and author alert as well as adding my story to your favorites. You guys are amazing! I'll do my best to update as quickly as I can, but Thanksgiving is arriving soon as is Finals week, so it might not be until December or even January 2012 until I update next. So, until then, enjoy this latest installment and I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great holiday/Christmas/winter break (whatever you call it, I hope it's great)!**

**Love,**

**TSA**

**P.S. As always, all Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling, Beatrix belongs to me, Elladora belongs to tigerlili48, and special mention goes to Caeria and her character Rink. You should read Caeria's story ****Pet Project**** as it is amazing and beautiful and was part of the reason I started this story. Love to you all!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4 – Entering Hogwarts<strong>

It had finally arrived. The day had finally come. The trip to Hogwarts had finally arrived and Beatrix couldn't be happier. She'd been packed for weeks and had been sleeping poorly due to her massive excitement. But she'd kept herself busy even though most of her belongings were packed away. She'd been teaching her new kitten Oreo some tricks such as fetch and to speak when spoken to. She had even gotten him to recognize simple phrases like "Go get your toy" and "Let's go to bed" and he would listen. He was a very smart cat and Beatrix could tell he was growing quite attached to her. And she was growing attached to the precious kitten as well.

But something unnerved Beatrix. Every time she thought about how to travel to King's Cross Station to get to the famous Platform 9 ¾, she became worried that they would end up apparating there. She hated apparating. It made her sick to her stomach and she had even thrown up on more than one occasion. She went looking for her mother and found her in the common room. She was sitting in a chair by a roaring fire reading a book, a blanket draped across her lap.

"Mum? How will we be getting to the platform tomorrow?" she asked her mother.

"I figured we'd apparate there, dear," she answered nonchalantly, her eyes never leaving the text she was reading.

"Do you think we could get there any other way? Floo network? Broom? _Car?_" she asked in desperation.

"There is no Floo network connected to the platform, broom flying is out of the question with all of your things, and no one in this house knows how to drive." She let out a puff of air before muttering, "Besides, if your father did, I'm sure he'd own an Italian sports car of some sort." She chuckled to herself before finally glancing up from her book to see her daughter's panic-stricken face.

"Is everything alright dear?"

"Mum, you know how I feel about apparating."

"Oh, right. Well, dear. I don't know what to tell you except that apparation is the most sensible means of transportation. I know it makes you sick, but it's the only way."

"Well, if it's the _only_ way," Trixie sighed with a roll of her eyes. "But when we leave can I apparate with you? Every time I go with Father he chastises me for having a weak stomach and being weak-willed."

_Damn that man!_ Narcissa growled to herself. _Eleven years and he _still_ doesn't treat her as a part of the family!_

"Come here, Bea," she smiled after she'd gained her composure. Beatrix cautiously walked over to her mother and was pulled into her lap. Narcissa wrapped her arms around her daughter and offered her silent comfort.

"Don't worry about your father. You can apparate with me tomorrow and we'll arrive safe and sound. I'll talk to your father. Now why don't you go make sure you have everything you need for school and get Oreo's things packed as well?"

"Alright, Mum." Beatrix kissed her mother on the cheek and skipped off to her room. Narcissa waited to hear her go up the stairs before she set out after Lucius.

She found him in his study sitting in his easy chair, a glass of firewhisky in his hand.

"Lucius, we need to talk about your behavior. Particularly concerning your behavior toward Beatrix," she growled.

"What did I do _this_ time?" he sighed, setting his glass down on the safety of his desk. He knew what was coming and he wanted it out of harm's way.

"You _still_ refuse to treat Beatrix as our own. You treat her like she isn't a part of the family."

"She isn't mine, so why should I treat her the same as my own son? She isn't even a pureblood. If she at least had that then I'd put forth a semblance of effort."

"Lucius, we have raised her _as our own_ for the past nine years! She _is_ ours, whether she's blood related to us or not! And she may not be a pureblood, but she is ours! Why should it matter?"

"'Why should it _matter?_' Narcissa, are you listening to yourself? She isn't a pureblood! She isn't even a half-blood! She's pretty damn close to being on the same level as a squib! Or worse, a mudblood! She's," he quickly did the math, "a one-quarter-blood!"

"Lucius, I know your pureblood ways and prejudices are clouding your vision, but please. She is _our_ daughter and—"

"No, Narcissa. She is _Severus's_ daughter. She is _his_ flesh and blood, _his_ daughter, _his_ and _his_ alone. She does not belong to us."

"Severus gave her to us to raise! She _does_ belong to us! Severus didn't raise her, care for her, watch her grow into a beautiful young girl. _We_ did!"

"Narcissa—" But he'd barely gotten out her name before she whipped out her wand and screamed "CRUCIO!"

Lucius fell to the ground, writhing in pain but refusing to scream.

"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy! You _will not_ treat Beatrix like she isn't a part of this family! She may be Severus's daughter but she grew up in _this_ house! You will treat her like the daughter she is and give her the respect she deserves! Do. You. Understand?"

Lucius nodded, unable to speak for fear of screaming and showing weakness.

"I want to hear you say it Lucius. If you don't say it I can't take your word."

"I-I'll be…I'll be respectful," he managed to spit out. Narcissa lifted the curse and strode out of the room. Lucius coughed and sputtered out, "Fucking bitch." He reached for his glass of firewhisky and took a satisfying gulp.

"That woman will be the death of me one day."

**…::-::…**

Beatrix strode into her room and found her Hogwarts letter on her bedside table. She re-read the list of supplies for first-years and mentally checked everything off as she rooted through her trunk. She had more than enough potions supplies, not to mention the books she was sneaking in against her mother's wishes. All of Oreo's things were packed as well, except for his food and litter box, which would be packed in the morning.

"Mew." Beatrix smiled as Oreo pawed at the box that held his toys and treats.

"I'm sorry precious Dude. You'll have to wait until tomorrow night before we can play again."

"Mew." She could hear the pleading in that one small sound.

"I know your pain, sweetie. All my potions stuff is packed and I feel so useless without it. I have nothing to do until term starts! I'm so bored!"

Oreo snuffed as if to say, "Tell me about it." So, with nothing better to do, Beatrix double, triple, and quadruple checked her stuff to make sure she had all her school supplies. Oreo found a sunny spot on her bed and fell asleep. Finally admitting that her attempts at relieving boredom were fruitless, she headed to Elladora's room.

Her cousin was talking to her cobra Nyx. Trixie had picked up enough Parseltongue phrases to know they were talking about her. She seemed to be Nyx's favorite subject. Bowing her head slightly so her face was hidden behind her hair, she skulked from the room and went to find her mother. She found her still in the common room, her nose in the same book as earlier.

"Mum? Do you have a cauldron and some ingredients I could use? I'm bored."

"Why can't you just use your own?"

"Because they're all packed and I don't want to disturb them. Plus they're all packed so nicely and I know I won't ever get them to be that organized ever again."

"Bea, you can still use your own. I can re-organize your trunk with a simple spell before we leave."

"Oh," Beatrix mumbled, feeling quite foolish. She walked back to her room and opened her trunk. Her wand lay on top of everything and she grasped it delicately, savoring its feeling and how powerful it made her feel.

"Accio cauldron," she whispered. The cauldron she had packed and popped into the air and she caught it in her outstretched hand. She smiled with glee and stifled a giggle of joy. "Accio potions book." The book for term popped up as well and she caught it in the cauldron. "Accio ingredients for Dreamless Sleep." Everything she needed popped up and she caught them in the cauldron as well.

She set her supplies down on her bed next to Oreo and then pulled out the Bunsen burner from her closet. Her mother had advised her not to bring it as brewing potions in the dormitories was frowned upon.

"You can bring your book to the Potions room and brew there," she explained. "That is if the professor gives you permission."

Trixie constantly found herself wondering who her potions professor was. She could envision a dark and brooding man or a bubbly and colorful woman; he or she would share her passion for potions and she would be his or her favorite student.

"Silly girl. That only exists in a perfect world," she scolded herself. She gathered her ingredients and began brewing a strong Dreamless Sleep potion. She was going to need as much sleep as possible for tomorrow. She spent the rest of her day brewing batches of the sleeping draught; she had a feeling she'd need some as a backup at school.

"Beatrix? What are you still doing up?" her mother asked from the door.

"What do you mean?"

"Honey, it's five in the morning," she answered. "Why are you awake? Did you even go to sleep?"

"No. When did it become five? The last time I checked it was midnight!"

"You haven't moved from brewing potions since midnight? Can you even walk?"

"Relax, Mum. I've been moving around to gather ingredients and such. So I can still walk." She stood up and walked around her room to prove her point. "See?"

"Yes, honey, I can see." She sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Put your potions stuff away. Go to sleep."

"But I'm too wound up to sleep now!" her daughter protested. "I'll sleep on the train. And I need to finish brewing this potion. I can't just abandon it."

"Fine dear. Brew all bloody night! What do I care?" She threw her hands up in exasperation, huffing.

"Mum? Are you alright?"

"No honey. I mean…yes…but no. It's just—"

"I'm your only daughter and I'm going off to Hogwarts and you're going to miss me terribly and you'll be crying when we get to the train and on the train and when we leave and you'll send me stuff every week," Trixie finished.

"Yes. Have I told you this before?"

"No. I'm going through the same thing." She looked up at her mother, bleary-eyed, and hugged her tightly. They both began to cry and just held on to each other. Narcissa stroked her daughter's dark hair and whispered, "You're my baby girl and you're all grown up. I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'll miss you too Mum. I'll write to you as soon as I've been sorted and settled in my dormitory."

"I know you will honey."

They held each other for a few more minutes before Beatrix said she needed to tend to her potion. Narcissa reluctantly released her but continued to stand in the doorway to watch her daughter do what she did best.

"Hey, Mum? Why are you up at this hour?" Trixie asked suddenly.

"I couldn't sleep, much like you. I had too much on my mind."

"Would you like a Dreamless Sleep potion? I've made a fair few tonight."

"And how much is a 'fair few?'"

"About thirty vials."

Narcissa laughed. "Did you make any that weren't too strong?"

Beatrix handed her a vial and Narcissa smiled.

"Thanks dear. I'll see you in a few hours."

Beatrix turned her attention back to her potion as her mother walked away. She was now determined to brew as many potions as she could before it was time to leave. Or she ran out of ingredients. Whichever came first.

**…::-::…**

At ten in the morning, the Malfoys apparated to King's Cross station. Beatrix and her mother left first to give Beatrix ample time to relax her churning stomach. Due to her lack of sleep and nerves, Beatrix threw up outside the station.

"Are you going to be alright, Bea?" her mother asked, placing a calm hand on her back.

"I'll be fine, Mum. I just need to get on the train and get some sleep."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I've got a Dreamless Sleep potion I can take on the train. I'll be well-rested by the time we arrive at Hogwarts."

"Okay dear."

Lucius, Ella, and Draco arrived then. Draco looked absolutely terrified as he didn't like apparating just as much as Beatrix. Lucius and Ella both wore looks of contempt and superiority.

"Come on. Let's get to the platform before it gets overcrowded," Narcissa ushered her family. They loaded the girls' trunks onto trolleys and made their way into the station. As soon as Beatrix spotted the gateway to the magical platform she squealed with glee and ran toward it. Narcissa stopped her before she got too far though.

"Settle down Beatrix. You have to time it just right. We can't have the Muggles see us disappear into a wall."

"Of course Mum. Sorry."

"Together on the count of three." Beatrix nodded. "One. Two. Three!" They pushed the trolley as fast as they could toward the gateway. Beatrix closed her eyes as they ran through the wall and only dared to open them once she felt her mum slow down. When she opened them she was greeted with an amazing sight.

A scarlet red engine whistled to her left and hundreds of students rushed around the platform, ushering each other to board and save a place for friends. She stood in awe but her mother rushed her toward a car so Ella, Draco, and Lucius cold get through.

"Where do you want to sit, Bea?" Narcissa asked.

"I don't really care. I just want to get on the train." She hopped in place as the excitement built.

They made their way toward the middle of the train. They gave their trunks to the conductors and when they asked for Oreo's crate, Trixie refused, holding onto it tighter.

"I won't take this trip without him!" she wailed.

"Beatrix, he wasn't asking for Oreo's crate," Narcissa explained in a calm tone. "He wanted the box with his toys in it."

"Oh." She looked behind her and saw that Oreo's belongings were indeed still on the trolley. "Sorry."

"A Malfoy never apologized," Lucius scolded her.

"Lucius," Narcissa hissed. "Now is not the time!"

He merely scoffed and walked away.

After their belongings had been put away they began the search for a train car. They found one rather quickly and Narcissa began to tear up before they even got up the stairs to get in the car.

"Be safe girls," Narcissa said as she hugged them goodbye. "Send me an owl as soon as you're settled in your houses."

"Yes, Mum."

Draco hugged his sister goodbye and Lucius gave them each a nod of recognition.

"I love you both," Narcissa said as tears began flowing down her cheeks. "I'll miss you so much. I'll send you packages every week!"

"Okay. Bye Aunt Cissy, Uncle Lucius, Draco," Ella said, dragging Beatrix onto the train.

"Bye dears! I love you!"

"Love you too Mum!"

"Bye Trixie!" Draco called. "I'll see you during the Christmas holiday!"

"Good_bye_," Ella said, pushing Trixie further onto the train. She found an empty compartment and commanded her cousin to sit.

"What's wrong, Ella?" Trixie asked.

"I'm tired of all this 'I miss you! I love you!' bull crap!" she screeched. "And I'm tired of your emotionalism. You're acting like a freaking Hufflepuff! You need to grow up! You're about to start Hogwarts and you can't even keep it together! You are a _Malfoy_, Beatrix. It's time you start acting like one."

Beatrix sank into the cushions at her cousin's harsh words. She felt her eyes tear up but she knew Ella was right. She needed to grow out of her childish ways and control her emotions. She nodded at Ella and straightened her back.

"You're right, Ella. I'm about to enter Hogwarts and I need to grow up. I need to start acting like the Malfoy I am."

"Good girl," Ella smiled, patting Beatrix on the head.

Beatrix grunted and glanced out the window. The platform had filled up considerably since they'd arrived. There were hundreds if not nearly a thousand people on the platform and they were all in a rush to get a spot on the train.

"Thank Wizard God we got here when we did," Beatrix laughed.

"Tell me about it," Ella agreed.

Beatrix watched the people file by, laughing as she realized they looked like lab rats in a maze. She suddenly spotted a patch of red making its way through the crowd. As the red came closer she realized they were people. Six freckle-faced red heads pushed their way through the crowd to get a spot on the train.

"Ella? Are these people the Weasleys that Father told us about?"

Ella took one look and said, "Yes. They are the blood traitors Uncle Lucius told us about. They're the ones who have too many kids to count."

"That poor woman," Beatrix whispered. "So many children…"

"Beatrix, you're not thinking like a Malfoy," Ella hissed.

"Oh. Right."

She continued to watch the Weasley family make their way to the train and get themselves situated. There were the two parents and four boys, each with flaming red hair and freckles across their faces. One of the boys was holding a broomstick and was being fussed over by the mother, so he was obviously the oldest and possibly in his final year. Another was holding his nose in the air like he owned the place and walked around with an attitude that said he was trying to get out of his brother's shadow. The last two _had_ to be identical twins as there was no way to discern them from the other, at least physically. They were exactly alike in every way right down to the clothes they wore, to how their eyes sparkled when they laughed, to every little motion they did was the mirror of the other. The twins were laughing all the time, even when their mother was scolding them. That was what she wanted her life to be like. Care-free and happy-go-lucky. Why couldn't a Malfoy act like that?

"Because the Malfoy name is prestigious and honorable," Ella said. "And you're also a Black, another noble wizarding name. You can't stray from the path your family and ancestors have set for you. Not only would you disgrace the Malfoy name but your family would disown you."

"How did you—"

"I'm a natural Legimins. So you should work on your Occlumency so I see only what you want me to see, or nothing at all."

"I… Okay."

Beatrix turned her attention back to the twins and watched with fascination. They were so cheerful and full of life. How was that possible?

**…::-::…**

After changing into her robes, Beatrix took one of her Dreamless Sleep potions she'd brewed earlier and fell into a deep slumber. She didn't wake up until Ella shook her rather harshly and told her they were almost at Hogwarts.

"How can you tell?" Beatrix asked, the sleep still thick in her voice.

"Because it's pitch black outside and the train is beginning to slow down."

"Oh." Trixie stretched and stood up to get the feeling back in her legs. Shortly after, the train came to a stop.

Everyone filed out of the train then and Beatrix found herself looking for the Weasley twins. She slapped herself and told herself that they were blood traitors; they did not deserve her attention. She held her nose in the air and walked off the train feeling quite superior.

"Firs' years!" a booming voice hollered. "Firs' years this way! Leave your belon'ins on the train. They'll be brough' up durin' the sortin'."

Beatrix turned in the direction of the voice and almost ran into the biggest person she'd ever seen. His face was hidden in a thick busy beard and equally thick black hair. She stared up at him and asked, "What are you?"

"A half-giant, miss," he answered in a manner that clearly said he got asked that question all the time. "My name be Rubius Hagrid, but most call me Hagrid."

She didn't know how to respond. Thankfully, Hagrid knew what to do.

"Firs' years! Firs' years! Follow me!" he hollered so loud it echoed throughout the Hogsmeade platform. He began to lead the new first years in the opposite direction of the other students. Not knowing what else to do, Beatrix followed the crowd until they reached the edge of a lake and a little fleet of boats.

_What the hell?_ she thought.

"No more 'en four to a boat," the giant said.

When all the students were situated the boots took off all by themselves. After a few minutes, the Hogwarts castle was visible in the distance. Beatrix grinned widely, her pride pushed away by her excitement.

"Wow," she breathed.

**…::-::…**

Severus sat at the Head Table, watching the returning students file into the Great Hall. He kept a close watch on his own Slytherin table, wondering if his Rose would be joining them.

A sudden flash and bang announced the arrival of the Weasleys. At least the twins, but they were never very far from their brothers.

"Fred! George! Behave!" McGonagall scolded them. "Everyone settle down! The first years are almost here! Get in your seats!"

The entire hall grew quiet as the students patiently waited for their new members. McGonagall left to prepare the new students and the hall grew rowdy again. Dumbledore did nothing as he knew they would settle down as soon as Minerva returned with the new students. Severus was literally on the edge of his seat in anticipation. He wanted to know where his daughter would be sorted, he wanted to know what she sounded like, he wanted to know how smart she was. He suddenly remembered that he had a reputation to maintain and he carefully constructed his mask of indifference and sat properly in his chair. He looked over at Albus and the Headmaster gave him a nod of encouragement and comfort.

The doors to the Great Hall opened up and Minerva strode in, closely followed by the newest additions to Hogwarts. Severus scanned the crowd for his daughter and found her next to Bellatrix's daughter, but something was different. She suddenly had the Malfoy air of contempt, her nose held high in the air, her expression one of disgust and superiority.

_Damn it all to Hell! Lucius finally got to her!_ he screamed to himself.

"Gather 'round," McGonagall instructed the students. The filled the space between the house tables and the head table, making sure that they could see the teachers and whatever Minerva was going to show them. "Now, when I call your name, you will come forth. I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses." With a complicated wave of her wand she produced a stool with the Sorting Hat sitting upon it and with another flick of her wrist she produced a scroll. She grabbed the hat and unrolled the scroll, then called out the first name.

"Bell, Katie." A mousy-haired girl stepped forward and sat on the stool. Minerva placed the Hat on the girl's head and the Hat instantly burst out, "GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table exploded in cheers and the girl skipped off to join her new housemates.

"Black-Lestrange, Elladora."

The crazy-haired girl his daughter was standing next to stepped forward. She seemed to part the students down the middle just from the mention of her name. The Hat must have sensed her power as well because he screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" before Minerva had a chance to set him on the girl's head. The Slytherin table clapped loudly and the girl headed towards the table, her air of superiority growing larger by the second. Severus had mixed feelings about her though. He made a mental note to keep a close watch on her during her time in the caste.

"Chang, Cho," was called and sorted into Ravenclaw. Severus tuned it all out, waiting to hear the name Evans. But when Minerva passed through the Es, Fs, and Gs, he began to worry. Was she even named Evans? Or, Wizard God forbid, was she a Potter?

"Malfoy, Beatrix," Minerva called. His daughter began to make her way toward the stool and Severus felt a rage like he'd never felt before bubble in his veins.

_How _dare_ they rename _my_ daughter!_ he growled, his scowl deepening and his rage at the Malfoys steadily growing.

His daughter, however, cautiously sat on the stool and Minerva lowered the Hat onto her head.

"Ah-ha!" it exclaimed. "A great challenge! So many conflicting characteristics! A great mind for learning and studying, yet you have the name Malfoy. That is the greatest contradiction of all. A soft heart, a good mind, and quite an interesting background. Now, where to put you?"

"Slytherin. Please, please. Slytherin," Severus heard his daughter whisper.

"Slytherin, eh? In all my years sorting I don't believe I've ever had someone _demand_ to be put in Slytherin. But you have so many Ravenclaw characteristics. Why not that house? They can help you on your way to Outstanding grades and make great friends along the way."

"I'm a Malfoy! I'm _supposed_ to be in Slytherin!" she protested.

"But you aren't a _true_ Malfoy," the Hat said.

_Oh shit,_ Severus thought. _Please no. Not here. Not in front of the whole school._

"I realize that I don't always act like a Malfoy, given my bookish ways, but I am a Malfoy. Narcissa and Lucius are my parents! Draco is my little brother! Ella is my cousin!"

The Hat mulled it over, and cast a quick glance at Severus.

_It knows,_ Severus thought. He subtly shook his head and the Hat smirked.

"Taking things into consideration, I suppose you belong in Slytherin," it said slowly, not shouting the house name like usual.

The Slytherin table clapped again and his daughter skipped off toward the table, taking a seat next to her crazy-haired cousin. Severus watched her throughout the rest of the sorting but he averted his gaze whenever she glanced his way.

This was going to be a very interesting year.

**…::-::…**

When the girls were settled in their beds, Beatrix whipped out a quill and roll of parchment. She wrote her mother a long letter, detailing every bit of information from the eventful evening. When she finished, it was one a.m.

_Thank Wizard God it's the weekend,_ she thought. She put her parchment on her bedside table and vowed to send it first thing in the morning. She tucked herself snugly in her sheets and quickly fell asleep.

**…::-::…**

Severus paced around his room, his fury at the Malfoys bubbling up and over the brim of his patience.

"How _dare_ she rename _my_ daughter! _My_ daughter!" he yelled to no one in particular. He grabbed a roll of parchment and began furiously scribbling his anger onto it. When he was finished he still wasn't satisfied, so he quickly cast the spell to turn the letter into a Howler and began verbally venting his anger.

"NARCISSA!" he screamed. "How _dare_ you rename _my_ daughter! I may have given her to you to raise, but I did not say you could rename her! She is not _your_ daughter, she is _not_ a Malfoy, and she is _not_ yours to corrupt! I _do_ plan on telling her everything one day, but now that seems pretty fruitless thanks to you! And you said you wouldn't let Lucius corrupt her! When I saw her at Diagon Alley she was happy and care-free! But when she arrived for sorting she had the Malfoy air of contempt and pompousness! How did he do that in only a few short weeks? I trusted you Narcissa. I trusted you with my only child and look what happened! Please, Narcissa, I beg you. Fix this… Or I will."

He ended the spell and the letter enclosed itself in the typical red envelope that Howlers were famous for. Now to send it out. Owls would take too long, plus it was too late to send mail. So, he chose the next best thing.

"Rink!"

A small house elf popped into the room and bowed so low his ears hit the floor.

"How may Rink serve Master of Potions?"

"Rink, take this letter to Narcissa Malfoy." He gave Rink the envelope and Rink bobbed his head. "And if she decided to write back, wait for her and then bring her letter to me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. Rink give letter to Mrs. Malfoy. If she write back, wait for her to be done. Then bring Mrs. Malfoy's letter to Master of Potions."

"Good. Now go." The elf bowed again and disappeared with a pop.

Severus collapsed into an easy chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed to control himself a lot better during the year. How could he have let himself lose control like that? If his daughter's presence here was going to cause him to lose control every time she displayed Malfoy traits, then it was going to be a very difficult year.

Rink came back then and gave Severus a small envelope.

"From Mrs. Malfoy," he said.

"Thank you Rink. You may go." The elf nodded and disappeared. Severus opened the letter and found only a few short sentences:

_You gave her to us. She is ours. And she wouldn't believe you anyway. You have no hold over her or us in this situation. She isn't yours, she is mine._

Severus crumpled the letter in his hand and threw it across the room.

Yes, it would be a _very_ difficult year.


	5. The Potions Master

**I'm going to skip the apologies for now and just jump right into the story. Enjoy!**

**P.S. As always, all HP characters, situations, and places belong to J.K. Rowling, Beatrix belongs to me, and Elladora belongs to tigerlili48.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5 – The Potions Master<strong>

Beatrix woke with a start Monday morning. She felt like she hadn't slept a wink but a glance at her clock told her she'd been asleep for several hours. She looked around the room and saw her roommates were still asleep. Not wanting to fall asleep again for fear of sleeping through her first class, she got out of bed and got dressed. She then quietly packed her book bag and headed to the common room.

She plopped down on the couch and opened her potions book. It wasn't like she needed to study the herbs and fungi, but she wanted to refresh herself on their uses and origins in case the professor gave them a pop quiz.

Oreo came pattering down the stairs then and ambled over to the couch. He stared up at his owner and patiently waited for her to notice him. When she didn't, he pawed at her legs until she reached down to pet him. Beatrix scooped him up and put him in her lap, where he curled up in a ball and promptly fell asleep.

Once the common room started to fill with other Slytherins, Trixie put her book back in her bag and carefully grabbed Oreo to take him to her room. Ella was still asleep, so Trixie took extra care at being quiet. She put Oreo on her bed and tiptoed out to the common room. She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and headed out the portrait hole to the cold hallway. Since the Slytherin common room was in the dungeons it was always cold but Trixie had bundled up in preparation. Despite her jumper and sweater she was still chilly, so she cast a quick warming charm around her to beat the cold.

"Thank Wizard God for extremely thorough charm textbooks," she muttered to herself.

When she reached the main floor she quickly ended the charm and entered the Great Hall for breakfast. It was surprisingly lively for how early it was. The Ravenclaw table was completely full, closely followed by Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. There were only a handful of students at the Slytherin table and they were all half-asleep. A loud crack and flash of multi-colored light came from the Gryffindor table. She saw the Weasley twins and a black boy laughing and high-fiving each other before their Head of House, Professor McGonagall, stormed over and began yelling at them. Beatrix smirked and walked over to the Slytherin table. She grabbed a bowl of porridge and some toast and began thumbing through her potions book again.

Slowly the hall began to fill up. Students ambled in, still fatigued with sleep but awake nonetheless, and began to eat breakfast. The professors and Headmaster sat at the head table, chatting with one another while also making sure the students weren't getting into any kind of shenanigans. Her Head of House, Professor Snape, was nowhere to be seen though. She had caught herself staring at him the night before and every time she had looked for too long his head had snapped up and he would glare around the room. It was as if he could feel her staring at him and the thought scared her. But she couldn't help herself; she constantly found herself looking in his direction, even if only for a fleeting moment. He looked so familiar but she couldn't figure out why or where she could have seen him before.

Someone sat next to her with a thud, interrupting her thoughts, and growled.

"Thanks for waking me up, Trixie," Ella spat, her words dripping with venomous sarcasm. Trixie, knowing better than to look directly at her cousin that early in the morning, merely took a bite of toast before she answered.

"I know how much you value your sleep, Ella. So I decided to let you sleep in. And besides, if I'd woken you up at the time _I_ was awake, you would have hexed me. And I like myself the way I am thank you very much. I don't need great big buck teeth or hideous red boils all over my face."

"Well, next time wake me up. Just not as crazy early as you or the Ravenclaws."

"Fine."

"Fine."

They ate in silence for the remainder of breakfast. Heads of Houses began passing out schedules but the Slytherins' schedules were delivered by owls. When Ella and Trixie opened their letters they found their first class to be double potions with the Gryffindors. Ella groaned.

"Double potions with the Griffin-Dorks? Could the start of term be any _more_ horrible?

"We have Transfiguration with the Griffin-Dorks too," Trixie said, reading her own schedule. "And Herbology with the Hufflepuffs."

Ella slammed her head on the table and groaned loudly.

"I had to ask," she muttered.

**…::-::…**

The potions room was in the dungeons, not that far from the Slytherin common room. The classroom was dark, dank, and cold and Trixie felt at home. She and Ella chose a table together since Ella knew what a prodigy Trixie was at the subject, so she knew she would be able to copy off her and get a passing grade. The Gryffindors all partnered with each other on the other side of the room. It seemed the house rivalry preceded itself and the first years had already chosen their sides in the matter. The students all began talking amongst themselves until the door burst open behind them and the Slytherin Head of House strode in. The man had a scowl on his face and his black robes billowed out behind him as he made his way to the front of the class. When he reached the desk at the front of the class he turned around to face the group of first years. Trixie let out a small gasp when she saw his full figure and face clearly, more clearly than she had at the Sorting. She pulled on Ella's sleeve and pulled her close to whisper in her ear.

"What?" Ella hissed, irritation in her voice.

"Ella, our teacher, our Head of House, I've seen him before," Trixie whispered.

"Yeah. At the Sorting dinner-ceremony thing the other night."

"No, before that. I saw him in Ollivander's Wand Shop when we went to Diagon Alley. He was up in the second level, talking to Ollivander. He looked over at me and caught me looking at him and then he disappeared."

"I thought he looked familiar!" Ella whispered. "I saw him too now that you mention it. I caught a bit part of their conversation too. Ollivander only tried your wand core on _his_ suggestion." She nodded in their professor's direction and then said, "Ollivander also said he could tell you were brilliant and called our professor 'Severus.' What kind of a name is 'Severus'?"

"It's probably a wizarding family name, like Elladora or whatnot. But why would he be in Ollivander's when he obviously already has a wand?"

"Plus he's the potions master. So why would he be in a wand shop and not the Apothecary?" Ella mused.

"I think he was spying on us," Trixie said matter-of-factly.

"Why would he be spying on _us?_ Let alone _you?_"

"Maybe he knows my parents? Or yours? Maybe he wanted to see us before term started?"

"Or maybe," said a cold voice, "he was just consulting with a professional."

The two girls looked up and were met face-to-face with their Head of House, Professor Severus Snape. He was scowling down at them, a look of contempt on his face but something else entirely in his eyes, especially when he looked at Beatrix. Trixie shrank back on her stool but Ella, once again embracing the Lestrange in her, stood her ground.

"Consulting with a professional?" she asked. "Why would you need to do that?"

"For your information, Miss Lestrange, my wand had been acting up and I had come to inquire to Mr. Ollivander as to why that might happen. He simply said that I was stressed and my wand could sense that. So, I stopped using it for a few days and it was good as new."

Ella just stared at him, and he stared right back, his gaze never leaving her face. They stared in silence, as if they were having a silent conversation, when Ella suddenly blinked and they seemed to rejoin the class.

"Tell me, Miss Malfoy and Miss Lestrange," their professor sneered as if nothing had just happened between them, "what gives you the right to interrupt my class with gossip?"

"We weren't _gossiping_ professor," Ella spat, also pretending nothing had just happened between them. "Gossip is beneath us. Especially as pure-blooded Slytherins."

Snape glared down at Ella, his eyes locked with hers in a seemingly perpetual staring contest. Neither gaze faltered until their professor leaned in close to Ella's face, invading her personal space, and whispered so that only the two girls could hear, "Miss Lestrange, despite who your parents are and what they did, I ask that you hold your tongue in my classroom. I knew your father in his prime and he was a very powerful wizard. But, even he would tell you this." He paused for effect and Ella actually gulped under the weight of his stare. "I was, and still am, a valuable asset to your fathers cause and you _will_ respect me in my classroom. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Ella whispered.

Snape nodded and backed off. He then turned his attention to Beatrix, a small smirk on his lips.

"Now, Miss Malfoy, tell me… What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"The sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death," she answered quickly, sounding very much like she'd swallowed the textbook. Snape's smirk grew.

"Where would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"

"The stomach of a goat. It's a stone that will protect you from most poisons."

"And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Trick question!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at her professor. "They're the same plant and they also go by the name of aconite."

Snape looked down at her, his gaze shifting between her face and her finger pointed at his chest. She slowly lowered it and sat on her hands to keep them under wraps. Her eyes, however, remained locked with his. A thin smile spread across his lips and he chuckled. It wasn't a hearty chuckle like one would expect, but it was more of a dark chuckle like he hadn't laughed in a very long time.

"Very good, Miss Malfoy. It seems your family finally has someone smart in Hogwarts. Ten points to Slytherin… for being prepared." He strode off to the front of the classroom and barked at the class, "Well? Why aren't you all writing that all down?" The class quickly pulled out notebooks and quills and copied down the information just given to them. Snape then began giving instructions on their first potion, which was the Pepperup Potion. Trixie sighed; she'd made that very potion dozens of times before. The class would be cake if all they would be brewing were the first potions she'd ever learned to make.

"What was that all about?" Ella whispered to Trixie when they'd gathered their ingredients and had begun to heat their cauldrons.

"I think he just wanted to see if the Malfoy name finally had someone smart in the line," Trixie whispered back. "You heard him. 'It seems your family finally has someone smart in Hogwarts.'"

"I'm in the Malfoy line—sort of—and I'm smart!" Ella protested.

"I think he wanted book smart, not smartass," Trixie explained jokingly. Ella just glared at her cousin until Snape appeared behind her and told her to pay attention or her potion would explode in her face. Ella did as she was told and concentrated on her concoction. She actually finished before Trixie, but Trixie was too consumed in her thoughts to pay much attention to class.

_Why would Professor Snape choose __**me**__ to quiz instead of Ella? Instead of anyone else in the class? Ella is sort of part of the Malfoy line too, as she's related to the Blacks just as much as I am. But why me and not anyone else? And why was he spying on me in Ollivander's? I don't care what he said about consulting a professional. I know he was spying on __**me**__, not just my family—but specifically me. Ollivander tried an entirely different wand core based on __**his**__ suggestion. But why?_

"Did my questions require all the knowledge and attention you had for the day, Miss Malfoy?"

Beatrix snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see her professor looming over her and her simmering cauldron.

"Sir?" she asked in confusion.

"Your potion is absolutely horrifying," he explained. "You have the flame too hot, you added the mandrake roots first instead of the bicorn horn, and you've waited too long to even attempt to right your mistakes. Now tell me Miss Malfoy, do you have trouble holding your concentration or are you simply incompetent?" Beatrix's mouth fell open at her professor's harsh words. He had practically called her stupid to her face and her pride was bruised, not to mention her feelings were greatly hurt. She felt tears prick in the corners of her eyes and her lower lip began to quiver. She closed her eyes tightly; she would not allow herself to cry on the first day of class, especially in front of Ella and her Head of House. She was a strong Malfoy, a Slytherin, and she would have to keep her emotions in check if she was going to prove to Ella that she _could_ make her family name proud.

When she opened her eyes a lone tear slid down her cheek and she was shocked to see her professor's features soften and his fingers twitch as if he wanted to wipe the tear from her cheek, but the steely look of determination was still in his eyes. Ella's words from the train played in her head as she squared her shoulders and dared to look her professor in the eye.

"Neither, sir," she said, answering his question.

"Excuse me?" he asked, taken by surprise.

"I am neither incompetent nor do I have difficulty holding my concentration," she explained, venom in her words as she defended herself.

"Then tell me, Miss Malfoy, why does your cauldron smell like Hagrid's hut?"

"I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I'm used to making this potion at home with my own stock of ingredients. I'm not used to your—" she paused to look around the room, "—organization." She dared to look him in the eye again and still saw the steely glint of determination, but there was something else there as well. Concern, perhaps, and what looked like the look her mother always wore when she only said and did things to help her wellbeing. It was a look she knew well and she wondered why her potions professor would have that same expression. Maybe he had children at home? No, that couldn't be it. Rumor had it that the professor wasn't married, didn't have any kids, and had never been in a relationship in his life. So why—

"You're lying," he said. Trixie lost her concentration and stared at her professor in confusion. "You gathered your ingredients beforehand. Why should you be distracted with my _organization_ when you have everything you need right here?" She didn't need to look down at her table to see that she did indeed have everything she needed, but she found herself doing just that. When she looked back up at her professor, the concern (or whatever it was) was gone from his eyes and now he just looked curiously angry.

"Sir, I—"

"I don't want to hear your excuses Miss Malfoy," Snape said, holding up a hand to stop her protests. "Obviously you're book smart but have no experience in actually brewing potions."

"That's not true!" Trixie exclaimed. "I've made this very potion dozens of times at home! I know what I'm doing, I do. Just let me prove it to you!"

Snape glared down at her. Trixie tried pleading with him with her eyes and she miraculously saw his features soften once again. It looked like he was going to give in and Trixie began to smile. But Ella obviously didn't notice his reserve falter as she began to avidly defend her cousin.

"Professor, if you'll just give my cousin a chance I'm sure she'll surprise you. She's very smart, in fact I'd say a lot smarter than most of the third years here, maybe even the fourth years. She is a bit of a nerd, but that may come in handy one day." She looked over at Trixie who smiled. "Plus, she's more competent in potions than you realize. And even though she's just a first year I wouldn't put it past her to be smarter than _you_ in the subject." Trixie gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"And what makes you say that, Miss Lestrange?" Snape asked.

"Well, clearly you don't notice things. Mainly the fact that some sparks flew from Trixie's cauldron a few moments ago, set your robes on fire, and you have yet to notice," Ella replied with a smug grin.

Snape looked down at his robes and then began frantically stomping out the little fire that had begun on the tail of his robe. The students roared with laughter but when Professor Snape looked back up he stared at the class with a rage unparalleled. His fists were clenched at his sides, his knuckles were turning white, and his entire face was turning a violet red, complete with veins popping out of his neck and forehead.

"FIFTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!" he roared. The Gryffindor students stopped laughing and the Slytherins smirked in satisfaction. Snape turned his attention back to Ella and glared down at her. He waited for her to cower under the pressure of his stare, but when she didn't even flinch he spoke slowly and menacingly.

"For that, Miss Lestrange, you will meet me here after dinner tonight. And bring your cousin with you. If you think she's so smart, why don't you prove it?"

"Fine," Ella spat. She rose from her seat and dragged Beatrix along with her. The other students in the class didn't leave until Snape screamed at them to get out. After that they all seemed to be in a race to get to the Great Hall or their next class. Beatrix just followed Ella in a stupor. She was lost in her thoughts, her body acting of its own accord and following her cousin wherever she walked. She actually got detention on her first day in Hogwarts. No, _she_ hadn't gotten herself detention; _Ella_ had gotten her detention. The cousin she had grown up with, shared a room with for most of her life, had gotten her detention on their very first day of Hogwarts. As soon as the realization hit, so did the anger. She balled her fists and held her arms stiffly to her sides, clamping her mouth shut in order to hold her tongue.

"You're being oddly quiet," Ella said when they reached their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "That isn't like you. Are you feeling alright?"

"Am I feeling alright?" Trixie said between clenched teeth. "Am I _feeling_ alright? What do you think Ella?"

"I think you're acting strange. Well, stranger than usual," she admitted. "What's going on in that vast brain of yours?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Trixie said, trying to contain her temper.

"I'm pretty sure. You're my cousin, Trix, and I think I would want to know what's wrong with the cousin I've shared most of my life with. And you know that I would do anything to protect you."

"Protect me? Ella, I do like that you are willing to speak your mind to basically everyone, but today you were out of line," Trixie whispered.

"How was I out of line? All I did was tell Snape what was what and you know it to be true."

"You made me get detention!" Trixie screeched, forgetting that they were in class. "I got detention on my first day of classes! No, _you_ got me detention on my first day of classes!"

"Professor Snape didn't actually say _detention_," Ella clarified. "All he said was to meet him in his classroom after dinner. I'm thinking you're going to have some sort of potion brewing contest thing."

"But you made me sound smarter at potions than I actually am! You said that I was smarter than some of the third and fourth years! You said I was smarter than the _teacher!_ I'm only a first year! There is no way I'm smarter than him!"

"Not yet, Trixie," Ella said. "You will be one day, trust me. You're too good at potions to _not_ be smarter than him one day."

"Thanks, Ella, but I feel like you just created a huge problem for me."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Ella said as she hugged her cousin. "I'm sure it will be fine. Professor Snape is our Head of House, so he wouldn't dare give actual detention to his own house, let alone give it to us."

"Why us specifically?"

"Um… Because of who our parents are. Duh."

"Yeah. Probably," Trixie nodded, her anger suddenly gone for the moment. Their DADA professor walked in then and asked them to open their books and start taking notes.

"It'll be fine, Trixie," Ella whispered. "I'm sure of it."

**…::-::…**

Severus paced around his classroom after all the frightened, dunderheaded first years had run out. He mentally cursed himself for losing control like that. How could she have such an effect on him? Why was it harder to remain calm while in her presence than in the Dark Lord's? _That_ was the big question. Severus stopped pacing and began to logically think that over.

The Dark Lord was a very powerful and dangerous wizard. He had a large band of followers that would gladly kill him if given the chance, especially Bellatrix Lestrange. There was something about that woman that sent shivers down his spine every time he saw her. He felt the same when her daughter looked at him. The group of people he used to associate himself with were also quite a fearful bunch, but nothing scared him more than having to be around his own daughter. What made it worse was that she had no idea that he was her father and her entire life has been a lie.

"Why does everything in my life have to be so God damn complicated?" he asked to no one in particular. He collapsed into his desk chair and held his head in his hands.

"Is that going to happen every time I'm near her?" he wondered.

His next class walked in before he could expand on that thought. It went by in a blur, as did the rest of his day. He skipped lunch and dinner in fear of seeing his daughter and having the walls of his composure crumble down like they had almost done in class that day. He simply waited for the day to come to an end and to give himself time to build up his walls before his daughter arrived for her after school "tutoring."

At 6 o'clock on the dot there was a timid knock on his door. He rose to answer it when it was shoved open by none other than his own daughter.

"I just want to get this done and over with," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at her cousin.

"For Wizard God's sake Trixie! I said I was sorry! What more do you want from me?"

"I want you to stop fighting my battles for me. If I'm going to start acting more like a Malfoy I'll need you to back off when I'm in a verbal battle with someone. But if I'm in a wand fight with someone and it looks like I'm losing horribly, feel free to step in and save my butt. I don't think my family would like it very much if I got killed at school."

"Fine. I get it. But when your smart brain can't come up with a quick comeback to some jerk, don't come crying to me when you lose that verbal battle."

"Fine. I won't."

The two girls stalked in and sat at the same desk as they had in class that morning.

"So what exactly will we be doing during detention this fine evening?" Beatrix asked.

"I told you Trixie, it's _not_ detention. Our Head of House would never dare to give detention to his own house, let alone me."

"You say that now Ella. You say that now."

"She's right Miss Malfoy," Snape finally said. "I wouldn't dare give detention to a fellow Slytherin."

"But what about _her_ specifically?" Beatrix questioned.

"Well," he paused to think. "Probably not."

"And why is that?" Ella asked with a triumphant smirk. Trixie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest in defeat.

"Because the wrath of your mother is not something I want to have to face."

"But not my father?"

"Elladora, I've faced your father's wrath many times over. I've grown used to whatever he can throw at me, for the most part. Your mother however is a completely different story."

"But my father is a lot more powerful and wrathful than my mother," Ella said.

"Yes, but your mother is your mother. She's willing to do anything to protect her only child. The same as Narcissa would do anything to protect her family, but your mother would go to a lot more forceful means to protect you."

"I don't need protecting. I can take care of myself."

"You say that now Ella. You say that now," Trixie whispered under her breath.

"Shut up!" Ella spat.

"Hey, I'm the one getting detention. So why are you complaining?"

"But you aren't the—"

"Girls! Would you both please shut your mouths before I take points away? I'm not afraid to take them away from Slytherins who get on my nerves."

They looked at their professor and glared at each other before fully turning their attention toward the front of the room.

"Now, this is _not_ detention, Miss Malfoy. I am merely giving you a second chance at brewing your potion from this morning."

"But why didn't you say that during class?"

"Because I like to instill fear in the new Gryffindors. I have to make sure what they've all heard about me is true. I can't have them think that everything they've been told is a lie, now can I?"

"No, but you can have them think that you willingly give out second chances only to Slytherins and everyone else fails no matter what," Ella said.

"Ella, would you please keep your mouth shut? This is between me and Professor Snape," Beatrix said between clenched teeth.

"Trixie, I swear to Wizard God, I will—"

"Miss Lestrange, you will not be hexing your cousin, no matter how annoying she may be to you," Snape interjected.

"You think I'm annoying?" Trixie pouted.

"Well, when you're being all brainy and smart, yes you can be annoying. You'll grow out of it eventually and start acting like the Malfoy you are." She patted Trixie on her shoulder but then a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Wait a minute. How did you know what I was thinking Professor?"

"I'm skilled in the art of Occlumency and Legilimency, just like you Miss Lestrange. So your mental block wasn't as strong as you thought it was, now was it?"

Ella stared at him in disbelief.

"So, Miss Malfoy," Snape said, changing the subject. "How about you get started on that potion?"

"Yes sir," she grinned. It felt good to see Ella brought down a peg, she just wished she had done it herself. She gathered her supplies and started working on her Pepper Up Potion. All the while, Snape paced the room, offering tips on how to improve her brewing, and even helped her with chopping a few of the ingredients. She was surprised at this side of her professor. In class he was steely, reserved, and harsh. But after hours, when he was helping her brew her potion, he was happy, open, and quite pleasant.

Ella sat in a stupor, watching the whole ordeal while still trying to maintain her composure after her mind had been invaded.

"What happened to you, sir?" she asked suddenly.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Professor, you were a great Death Eater, a great member of my father's elite team. What the hell happened to you?"

"Nothing happened to me, Miss Lestrange. I am still a loyal member and valuable asset to your father's cause."

"I don't believe you."

"And why not?"

"Because you're gushing over my cousin's lame potion. It's only a potion that makes you feel warm when you have a cold. It isn't Wizard God, it isn't a saint, it isn't even the Dark Lord himself. So why are you treating her like the sun shines out her butt?"

"Miss Lestrange, I am merely helping your cousin better her potion. She's a natural in the subject and I'm just helping her hone her skills. And I am still a loyal follower of your father's cause."

Ella scowled at him and whispered, "Prove it."

Snape, not breaking eye contact with her, slowly rolled up his left sleeve and showed the girls his Dark Mark. "As I said, Miss Lestrange, I am still loyal to your father. Now, you two may leave. Go to bed, it's late. I will escort you back to your common room."

He quickly pushed his sleeve back down and ushered the two girls out of the room. Ella felt confident knowing that their professor was still loyal to her father's cause and Trixie felt liberated knowing there was a somewhat softer side to Snape. She'd noticed that his passion for potions was equal to her own and she already knew he was going to be her favorite professor.

They got back to the Slytherin common room in record time and as soon as the portrait door closed Severus stalked back to his office, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. He already knew showing them his Mark was a mistake. For Ella it was a reassurance, but he didn't want his daughter to think he was a monster. But, he had shown her his passion for potions and he began to think that maybe, just maybe, it might give her something else to think about instead of joining her "family's" cause.

When he reached his office Dumbledore was already standing at his desk.

"Good evening Severus."

"Evening," he grunted.

"Why so cross Severus? Did you not just spend time with your daughter only a moment ago?"

"Yes, but it's the Lestrange girl that really pushes my buttons."

"I see." He looked over his half-moon spectacles and said, "I know you showed them your Mark, Severus. I must advise you not to do that again. I don't want it to get around the school that I have a 'loyal' Death Eater teaching our students."

"I realize that sir, but I had to get the Lestrange girl to trust me. She's a natural Legimins but she can't get into my head. However, I can get into hers. So I had to gain her trust so she wouldn't—"

"Ruin your chances of getting closer to your daughter, I know Severus," Dumbledore nodded. "Just be careful about what you say and reveal to her."

"Of course."

"And, when you do tell her of her true family, I advise it be later in her school years as she will probably be more accepting of that information."

"I know. You honestly think I haven't been thinking about that already?"

"No," Dumbledore laughed. "I figured you'd been planning since you gave her to the Malfoys."

"Well, you are correct there." Severus managed a small smile but he knew it wasn't as cheery as when he was around his daughter.

"Go get some rest, Severus," Dumbledore instructed. "You're going to want to have your wits about you for class in the morning."

"Don't I always have my wits about me, no matter how little sleep I get?"

Dumbledore merely laughed and disapparated away. Severus sat down in a chair and tried to take deep, calm breaths. Dumbledore was right. If he was going to be around his daughter he was going to need more sleep to keep his wits about him. She always seemed to test his patience, test his resilience to tell her the truth and finally have her back as his own. He knew she would never accept the truth at such a young age, and he hoped that with time he would be able to tell her and she would come to accept the truth one day.

He stood up and took another deep breath. It was going to be a tough year, but he knew he could tough it out just as long as he knew his daughter was there. Comforted by the thought he went to his sleeping chambers and surprisingly slept peacefully throughout the night; his daughter's smiling face filling his dreams and, every now and then, Lily was there too, making their family whole once again.

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><p><strong>Hey! I got this done a day early! =D<strong>

**I just want to apologize for being so late in updating this. I thought I would get more written and would have this posted by the end of my first week of school. Well, it is now the beginning of my tenth week and I am just now updating. Sorry for the wait, but I hope it was worth it! :) I had absolutely NO MUSE for the longest time and then as soon as Spring Break hit I started writing about something that will happen in Rose's sixth year and then I had muse for this chapter. What gave me the most grief though was what would Ella do to make Snape show them his Dark Mark? I had to ask my friend (the same one who's behind the brilliant story **_**The Third Donovan**_**) for advice. She is the one who created Ella after all, so I think she would have some pretty good ideas as to what Ella would say.**

**Oh, did you all get the subtext as to who Ella's father is? Didja? Didja? Didja? ;-D**

**So, I hope you all have a wonderful day/afternoon/evening (depending on when you're reading this) and that you enjoy the latest installment in this fan fic. I love you all for your support and comments. They really keep me going.**

**Love, TSA**

**P.S. Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Go drink green beer, wear green clothes, and party hard! Live it up! This only happens once a year! Take advantage of it while you can!**


	6. Christmas

**So, my Snape is pretty OOC. This is how I believe Snape would behave had things ended differently between him and Lily. My Severus is a better man now that his daughter is back in his life but that doesn't mean he won't still be a bastard to the Golden Trio. ;)**

**My Severus acts kinder, gentler, and is much more pleasant to be around when he is with his daughter. Just like her mother, Rose brings out the best in Severus. She just doesn't know it yet.**

**And as I type these words I can't sleep due to drama in my life, so I just decided to be productive—ok, productive for myself. I had written sections of this out on my iPhone notepad, so I had to add it to this and then it just stemmed from there. So I hope you all enjoy!**

**Love,**

**TSA**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6 – Christmas<strong>

The rest of the semester seemed to go by in a blur for Severus. He remembered nothing about his day except for the time he spent with his daughter. She would frequently stop by after dinner to ask him questions about different potions and what they could do. Most of the time she would ask him questions about the homework, but each second he spent with her was precious. He lived in constant fear that one day she wouldn't come back, that she would disappear forever, and he would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat from dreams of her disappearance—or worse.

As winter holidays approached he found himself wondering if he should get her something for Christmas. The longer he thought about it the more inappropriate it began to seem. She was his student, she didn't even know about their familial relationship, and she was a Malfoy. Severus knew Lucius would never approve of his trying to reconnect and he remembered how defensive Narcissa got after he sent that Howler. Just thinking about losing his daughter to that family made his blood boil and a lump form in his throat. He shook the thought from his mind and forced himself to stand up and pace around the office. As he paced a memory surfaced, one that he hadn't thought about in a long time.

It was the first time he'd laid eyes on his daughter since he'd given her to Narcissa. They were in Flourish & Blotts and she had been going through the different potions books. He had seen her looking through the Advanced Potions book and how she had held onto it the longest. He had watched her reluctantly put it back after Narcissa had told her no. In that moment he knew what he had to do.

"Rink!" he called. The elf appeared and bowed before him.

"How can Rink serve Master of Potions?"

"Go to Flourish and Blotts and buy the Advanced Potion book for me please." He handed the elf money and Rink nodded eagerly.

"Of course sir. Rink serves sir." He disappeared and Severus was once again alone. He occupied his time by brewing a Dreamless Sleep potion; he knew he would need it before too long. With his daughter back with _them_ he would be too worried to get any decent amount of sleep.

Rink appeared with a small pop and presented the potions book to him.

"Rink has brought Master's book."

"Thank you Rink," Severus said, taking the book from the elf's hands. "You are dismissed." The elf bowed and disapparated.

Severus looked at the book. He knew he had to write something in it like his mother did every time she bought him a book, but he didn't want to risk her seeing the message before she was ready. He knew there was a concealment charm he could use, but could be risk it?

"Yes," he said aloud, answering his own question. He walked over to his desk and opened the book, smiling in satisfaction when the spine crackled. He studied the blank canvas of the inside cover before grabbing his quill. He thought about what he wanted to say and then began to write.

_My dearest Rose,_

_This message will only appear to you when you are ready. Either you figured it out already or I told you, but this will only appear to you when you have discovered and accepted the truth._

_This book is my first gift to you. Read it, learn from it, and if you have any questions don't be afraid to knock on my door. And these questions aren't limited to just potions or academics. I want you to feel comfortable enough to talk to me about anything._

_I love you my precious Rose._

Severus allowed the ink to dry before he cast the spell and closed the book. He sighed both in relief and to prepare himself for the future. He went to his sleeping chambers and prepared for the new day.

**…::-::…**

Beatrix awoke on the morning of the beginning of winter holiday with mixed feelings. She was glad to be going home for the holidays but she was going to miss the school.

_I should have been in Ravenclaw,_ she thought. She rolled out of bed and looked across the room to Ella's bed. She was still sound asleep but knew she wouldn't be for long. She knew her cousin couldn't wait to get out of the school because she had to share space and air with mudbloods and blood traitors alike.

She began packing her trunk, careful to remind herself to bring only the essentials home. Her clothes, some books, and smuggle out potion ingredients so she could practice at home. Ella began to stir and Beatrix knew she should be quieter. She set her things aside and went out to get breakfast.

The Ravenclaws were all gathered, talking about what they were going to do during the holiday. The Gryffin-Dorks were scattered throughout the different houses (except Slytherin) but she was able to pick out the Weasley clan. Trying to maintain her Malfoy image she looked at them with scorn as she walked by. They scowled right back at her, their eyes full of contempt.

She sat down and ate her breakfast, carefully watching for Ella and also keeping an eye on the blood traitors. She knew the twins were up to something because they were whispering to each other and trying to stifle laughter. She glared at them, hoping they would feel the weight of her stare and that it would make them stop. She hated how happy they were. They had next to nothing whereas she had everything she could ask for, but they were so bloody happy. It frustrated her and what really got under her skin was that she allowed it to bother her.

She stood up without finishing her food and made her way back to the common room. The happiness of the other students frustrated her and she didn't understand why. When she stormed back into her room she discovered Ella was going through her trunk.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked with more force than she intended.

"I'm looking for some of my things," Ella answered with a glare, hearing the tone in her cousin's voice. "I'm pretty sure you packed some of mine."

"Well, yeah. I thought we might save space and share a trunk. After all we'll only be gone for a month and we still have a lot at home."

Ella looked at her cousin. She really was a smart one, but she was so naive sometimes Ella wondered how she functioned most days.

"I should have been in Hufflepuff I know," Beatrix said. "But I'm just trying to save space—"

"No, Trixie, that was smart thinking. But can you tell me where you packed my birthday dress?"

"Oh, sure. It's right here." She grabbed the dress out of the corner and handed it to her cousin. "Why do you want to wear it anyway?"

"I'll be changing on the train but this is my dress that shows I am no longer at school; I am in my element at the Manor."

"So, it's like your power dress?" Beatrix surmised.

"I don't know if 'power' is the word I would use, but yes, in a sense." Ella put the dress back on top of the pile of clothes for easy access later and began to grab some things of her own to pack. Nyx slithered toward Beatrix and hissed something that made Ella laugh. Beatrix was surprised Nyx was able to stay at Hogwarts, let alone stay in the common room. It always worried her at night that the snake would crawl into her bed and bite her in her sleep. She turned away, shaking the thought from her mind, and sat on her bed, waiting for Ella to finish so they could board the train.

After Ella finished packing and she had stowed Nyx away in her pocket, the girls made their way down to the great Hall for a spot of breakfast before the long train ride home. They ignored everyone but their fellow Slytherins and ate before walking quickly to the train. They boarded the Slytherin compartment and sat, backs straight, looking at no one. Once some of their friends had boarded they relaxed a bit and let their walls come down. Beatrix was getting better at her Malfoy facade, and Ella was proud of her. She was finally embracing the Malfoy she knew Beatrix could be. Now if only she could keep it up at the Manor.

**…::-::…**

When Beatrix and Elladora finally arrived back at King's Cross it was pitch black outside. Beatrix had once again fallen asleep on the ride and had to be woken up before they had arrived. She was still groggy when they got off and was greeted by a very ecstatic Draco.

"Trix! Trix! We're over here!" He waved eagerly but was held back by Lucius who had a scowl on his face. Draco paid no attention to him but as soon as he saw his sister's face all his energy was gone.

"It has been a long day Draco," she moaned, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Can we just go back to the Manor so I can get back to sleep? I'll tell you all about Hogwarts when I wake up."

He nodded and held his back straight and tall as other students began to get off the train.

"Yes, of course. Let's go before the mudbloods and blood traitors arrive," he said with a sneer. Lucius almost looked proud for a moment before slipping back into his own composure.

"Yes, let's head back," he agreed. Narcissa hugged the girls before they left the platform, trying to hold back tears as she hugged her daughter.

"I missed you dear," she said.

"And I missed you Mum," she smiled back. She wrapped an arm around her mother and let her lead her out of the station. As soon as they were out of sight of the juggles they apparated back to the Manor. Having not apparated in quite some time Beatrix was more than nauseous when they arrived. Her skin had turned a pale green and she couldn't stand on her own very well. She propped herself against her mother and tried to hold down her small breakfast but it all came up as soon as Lucius arrived with Draco and Ella.

"When are you going to learn to apparate in tandem without throwing up?" Ella asked.

"Maybe when I learn to apparate for myself I'll enjoy it a little better," Beatrix replied, wiping some puke off her chin. "That way I'm in control of where I'm apparating to."

Ella simply nodded and headed into the Manor. The rest followed and Narcissa took Beatrix up to her room. As soon as she was in the safe haven she collapsed on the bed, too tired to get into pajamas.

"Get some sleep my dear," Narcissa whispered as Beatrix began drifting off to sleep. "You won't have to worry about dinner. Just get some rest. You can tell us all about your first semester at Hogwarts in the morning." She kissed Beatrix on the forehead and walked out, leaving her to dream.

**…::-::…**

The days just flew by as Christmas drew nearer and nearer. Draco constantly wanted to hear about Hogwarts: who the house ghosts were, who the best professors were and who the worst were, how he would get to classes, how he would choose classes, and how to navigate the grounds. Beatrix shared all the details she could with him and after a while Ella just ignored him completely. Yes, Draco's pestering did get annoying at times, but Beatrix knew he just wanted to be prepared for his first year.

Finally it was Christmas Eve and all of Draco's questions disappeared. Now the only thing he could talk about was what he would be getting on Christmas morning. They were allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve and all they ever got were cheap gifts to keep their expectations on the _real_ gifts they would receive in the morning. Draco went to bed with visions of a new spell book, Ella with another piece of her father, and Beatrix of the Advanced Potion Making book she had wanted in Flourish & Blotts.

The day did not disappoint. Draco got many new spell books, Ella got the diary of her father, and Beatrix actually got the potions book.

"Thank you Mum! Thank you so much!" she squealed in delight. "I didn't think you would get it but you did! Oh! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She grabbed her mother in a tight hug, not releasing her grip on the new book.

Narcissa on the other hand was confused beyond all get out. She had vowed _not_ to buy Beatrix that book as she thought it was a bit too advanced for her years. And yet somehow she had it in her arms, clutching it to her chest like it was the one thing holding her to Earth. Then she knew. Severus. But how had he known? The thought of him trying to take her Beatrix away from her made her blood boil and she almost told Beatrix the truth right then and there.

"Yes, you are very welcome my dear," she said instead, claiming whatever she could get out of her daughter. "I knew you wanted it but just promise me you won't try any of the potions until your magic has grown stronger."

"Of course Mum. I swear to you that I will not brew any of the potions in this book until my magic has grown stronger. I will simply peruse them and figure out what each one does and see if there isn't a way it could be improved."

"That's my girl," Narcissa smiled.

"Hufflepuff," Ella whispered under her breath.

**…::-::…**

Beatrix clutched her new book to her chest in bed that night. She refused to let it go until she had absorbed every bit of information so that she could go ask her professor about the potions and ingredients featured in the advanced text. She then found herself wondering why her professor was so interested in her. He treated her differently than the other students, even Ella, and even Beatrix agreed that Ella was _a lot_ more interesting than her. And yet her professor talked to her almost on a daily basis and he answered all of her questions, both during and after class.

She had also begun to notice odd similarities between her and her professor. The way they stood at their cauldrons, the way they measured out ingredients by eyeballing it either from experience or just knowing that it was a better method, and how intensely focused they got once their potion started working correctly. She figured it was just a coincidence since Ella hadn't said anything, but then again…

She felt her book warm up suddenly and she nearly dropped it from the intense temperature change.

_What? My book shouldn't have a temperature, let alone such a drastic change like that._

She quickly opened the book to see what caused it and briefly caught a flash of ink on the first page. She saw that there was more written but all she could make out were the words "accepted the truth."

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><p><strong>Now I know this is a bit of a shorter chapter but this had been giving me grief for quite some time. I am so sorry it took me so long to update, but life got in the way as did finals week and now that I can't sleep I just decided to finish this and post it. Hopefully the next chapter will be a bit longer, but as this one mainly pertains to Christmas it makes sense that it would be shorter.<strong>

**Anyway, read and review as I love all your comments and thank you for taking the time to read this. Hopefully the next chapter will be up by the end of the month but I'm not making any promises. I'm trying to find a summer job and so far no such luck. But I will do my best to get something written, even if it's set in the future and I have to hoard it on my computer until this reaches that point. So enjoy until the new chapter is up!**


	7. Holiday

**I need to stop making promises I can't keep. I am so sorry I haven't updated. There was so much I wanted to write about in this chapter but I couldn't find it in my schedule to write it all out. Now I'm back at college and I am so sad that I didn't get any chapters out for the entire summer. I apologize. But it's here now, so let's all enjoy it and hope that I can actually get another chapter out without it taking too long.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7 – Holiday<strong>

Beatrix was almost sad to go back to Hogwarts. She didn't want to leave her family, especially Draco. All he wanted to do since she had gotten back was spend as much time with her as possible. If anything, her being away at Hogwarts had made their relationship stronger and, for the first time in years, she actually enjoyed being around her little brother. She hoped that wouldn't change when he got his letter and was going to school with her, but when she would be under the same roof with him day after day once again, she knew it would.

When Draco wasn't asking her about Hogwarts, most of Beatrix's time was spent with either her new potions book or Ella. Ella was slowly teaching her how to use wandless magic. Ella, of course, was a natural. Their first lesson had ended disastrously as Beatrix had accidently shattered a vase with her thoughts. After taking a break for nearly a week, Ella told her to close her eyes and feel her magic coursing through her body. Beatrix did just that and the feeling was exquisite. She could feel her magic pulsing in her blood, flowing through her like a river, an endless supply of power. She grinned widely and easily carried out all the spells Ella asked her to perform. But despite her advances with Ella, she was still lost when it came to her potions book.

She was still trying to figure out why it suddenly came to life. She had tried every revealing spell she knew to try to get the words to reappear again, but nothing worked. She tried thinking of Professor Snape as she was thinking about him when "the incident" occurred. That didn't work either. She finally turned to her mother, asking her to lift whatever spell was on the book and reveal the message written in it. A brief flash of anger crossed her mother's face before she feigned innocence, claiming there was nothing written in the book and that Beatrix had imagined the whole thing.

Beatrix walked away with a huff. She _knew_ what she saw. It was there one moment and gone the next! She didn't tell her mother about the three words she had seen though. Instead she decided to wait until they were both ready. Beatrix sighed and grabbed her broom, deciding to go outside and practice flying. Although she hated it just about as much as apparating, she needed to be better. She wrapped her cloak around her and grabbed a scarf and gloves. Even in the dead of winter she would practice. She wasn't sure if she was being smart or stupid at the moment.

"Draco! I'm going flying!" she called. _Definitely stupid,_ she thought as she almost regretted her decision to include her brother. That changed the instant she saw him bounding down the stairs, his winter cloak on and his broom in hand, to join her. Beatrix rolled her eyes at her brother. So eager and yet he could turn around and be the perfect embodiment of the Malfoy way. She made a mental note to ask him how he did it later. Maybe then she could finally please her father.

"Can we practice Quidditch today?" Draco asked, breaking her out of her reverie. They were in the center of the courtyard suddenly and Beatrix couldn't recall how they made it there so quickly. "I wanna try out for the team when I get to Hogwarts."

"First years aren't allowed on the teams," Beatrix reminded him. "You aren't even allowed your own broom until second year." Draco huffed and pouted, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm only telling you the truth," she shrugged. "But I don't see the harm in practicing." She mounted her broom and kicked off the ground, hovering briefly before taking off across the field. Draco was soon beside her, his boyish grin infectious. Beatrix laughed, her dark mood suddenly lifted.

"OK, Draco," she grinned. "Let's get some flight practice in. First to catch the snitch wins." She conjured a makeshift snitch from her wand and it breezed past them both, teasing them.

"Count of three?" Draco asked. Beatrix nodded.

"One."

"Two."

"Three!" And they were off!

…**::-::…**

As soon as Beatrix mentioned a spell on her book Narcissa knew Severus must have conjured it so only Beatrix could see whatever he was trying to tell her. As soon as Beatrix mentioned a message Narcissa grew furious. He left a private message for _her_ daughter! He _was_ trying to tear the family apart! He _was_ trying to wedge himself back into her daughter's life! But he gave Beatrix to them! He couldn't care for her! Beatrix was _hers_!

When Beatrix left, Narcissa stalked to her daughter's room. She needed to find that wretched book and destroy it before Beatrix discovered how to uncover the hidden message. Finding the book proved to be the greater challenge. It seemed that Beatrix had hidden it for whatever reason. To keep it safe? To keep her own mother from getting a hold of it? A few minutes of fruitless searching only made Narcissa's anger toward Severus increase ten-fold. The book wouldn't even appear to an Accio charm.

Beyond frustrated at this point Narcissa cried out and threw a random object across the room. It hit the wall with a loud crack and broke into hundreds of tiny pieces. She stalked out of the room, not bothering to look at what object she had destroyed, and headed to her bedroom. As soon as she closed the door she collapsed in a heap and buried her face in her hands. She began to sob, her cries muffled but still audible enough that it could be heard in the study down the hall.

A tentative knock came on the door but Narcissa made no move to answer it.

"Narcissa?" an unexpected voice rang out. "Dear, are you alright?" Narcissa lifted her head from her hands, shocked that he had answered her cries.

"Lucius," she choked out. She slid away from the door and allowed her husband to enter. He closed the door behind him and looked for his wife. Upon seeing her crumpled up on the floor he promptly sat down beside her and gently brushed back the hair that was stuck to her face.

"My dear, what is the matter?" He ran his thumb down her cheek and Narcissa managed a small smile. It was moments like these that reminded her why she had fallen in love with him.

"It's that blasted potions book," she said, her voice week from her sobs. "Bea asked about a spell that had been put on it. I _knew_ Severus would have done something to it. I _knew_ he would try to weasel himself back into her life. I guess I just wasn't as prepared as I thought I was."

Lucius pulled her up and brought her onto his lap. He cradled her there for a moment, allowing them both to think about what to say next. Narcissa didn't care so much about the book anymore; she just wanted the moment together to last. She clutched onto his shirt as he stroked her hair. It was like they were teenagers again, back in the Slytherin common room late at night where they could say and do anything they wanted without judgment.

Lucius suddenly took a deep breath and Narcissa smiled as her head rose and fell with his chest. She knew he was about to break the silence, so she simply waited.

"I realize that you are hurt," Lucius began, "but you must have known that at some point Severus would try to become a part of his own daughter's life."

"Yes, I did realize that. I just imagined it happening a lot later in her life. Like when she turned thirty." Lucius laughed and Narcissa smiled against his chest.

"My dear, dear Narcissa. I know you don't believe that," he laughed again. "I knew he would try to gain her back. That is why I never spent time with her. So I wouldn't grow attached and fall apart like you are starting to."

"But Lucius! We raised her! We took her in when Severus had no one else to turn to! She grew up here with Draco and Elladora! How is she NOT ours?"

"She was always his," Lucius whispered. "From the beginning I could tell she would always be his. The books, the potions, her eagerness to learn. Even the Mudblood's passion and enthusiasm. She was always theirs, Cissa. She was never ours."

Narcissa burst into tears again at his words. She knew it was true but she didn't want to believe it. To her, Beatrix had been the perfect little girl. She had allowed herself to be dressed in whatever Narcissa chose, went along with whatever Narcissa said, and listened to every word Narcissa ever spoke. She was perfect, but she wasn't hers.

"I don't want to lose her, Lucius," she whispered into his chest. "Not completely anyway."

"You are the only mother she has ever known. You will never completely lose her," Lucius reassured her. Narcissa nodded, fresh tears in her eyes. She clutched to his shirt as he continued to hold her, comforting her for as long as she needed.

…**::-::…**

By the time Beatrix and Draco returned from their game, they were sweating buckets. They had shed their gloves and scarves long ago and the heavy cloaks soon followed. The sweaters, however, stayed on no matter what.

"That was so much fun Trix!" Draco laughed. "We should do that all the time!"

"Not every day! I think I might die!" Beatrix feigned having a heart attack before laughing out loud. "How about we do it a few times a week so we can both get better?"

"Sounds good!" Draco smiled.

"Excellent. Now, let's go clean up. You stink!" Beatrix wrinkled her nose and Draco pouted.

"Yeah, well, so do you! Wait until my father hears about this!" he countered before running off.

"We have the same father you idiot! Get better comebacks!" she hollered after him as he ran to his room. She sighed and shook her head. "Dobby." The elf appeared, bowing slightly.

"How may I serve mistress?" he asked.

"Would you start a bath for me please? Not too hot since I'll probably be freezing by the time I get there. Oh, with bubbles too!"

"Of course mistress," the elf said, bowing again before disappearing with a small pop. Beatrix walked down the halls, taking her time so Dobby could get the bath ready by the time she arrived. She walked past her room and the door was still closed. Ella's was too but she could faintly hear her talking with Nyx.

_I wonder how she's using the diary. How does it even work? It can't be a typical diary,_ Beatrix thought idly. _But her father being, well, her father, he can turn anything ordinary extraordinary. I would love to find out how it works and possibly make one of my own. Imagine the possibilities!_

By the time she finally arrived at the bathroom, the tub was full of purple bubbles and warm water. Beatrix smiled as she peeled off her clothes, thankful that the hot fabric was off her body. Goosebumps formed along her skin as she slowly lowered herself into the water and she sighed in content, warming up at last. She lay in the tub for quite a while before she realized she hadn't brought a change of clothes. Thankfully, Dobby must have realized that as well as he had brought a fresh set of clothes and laid them on the countertop, her dirty clothes taken care of.

"Thank you, Dobby," she said to thin air. She stepped out of the tub and the water vanished automatically. She quickly dried herself with a spell and pulled on her clean clothes. She wrapped her arms around her as the warm Slytherin sweater enveloped her, smiling in glee. She made her way back to her room to brew a quick potion to pass the time. But when she opened her door she stopped in her tracks.

Her room had been ransacked. Her books and papers were littered all over the floor, her bed sheets and mattress were off the bed frame, and the drawers of her armoire were scattered. She gasped and held her hands to her mouth in shock. _Who would do this?_ she thought. _What could they have possibly been looking for?_ Then it hit her: her mum had been looking for the potions book. But why? She went to its hiding place and whispered the charm she had put on it for safekeeping. She clutched it tightly to her person before hiding it once more. As she stepped away she heard a faint crunch. It was then that she saw the shards of glass beneath her feet and she screamed.

…**::-::…**

Narcissa was still in Lucius' lap when she heard a high-pitched scream echo down the hall. Her head snapped up and she stared at the door, her eyes wide.

"Oh no," she whispered.

"What is it?" Lucius asked. He too had been staring down at the door and now he looked down at Narcissa, worry etched on his face. Narcissa couldn't answer as she was already on her feet, running toward her daughter. Lucius remained on the floor, dumbfounded, until the shouting started.

…**::-::…**

Beatrix knelt on the floor, her hands covering her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs. She couldn't believe that her mother, her own mother, would have destroyed her entire collection of potions bottles. She had spent the better part of the past two years gathering them all and quite a few of them were rare and could only be bought at a certain time of the year as the materials had to be gathered at a specific time. She knelt by the shards, sobbing into her hands, knowing that most of them wouldn't even be salvageable to a _repairo _charm.

Her mother burst through the door suddenly, scaring Beatrix and eliciting a small shriek from her. When she took in her mother's red eyes and haggard appearance she at least knew she felt guilty about what she did. But the shock on her face made Beatrix realize that she hadn't any idea what she had destroyed. When her mother moved to embrace her Beatrix moved away, making a small noise in her throat.

"Don't touch me," she said between clenched teeth. Her mother recoiled, her hands making awkward shapes in her lap. "Do you even know what you did?" Her mother shook her head and Beatrix sighed. "You destroyed my entire collection of potions bottles Mum! Do you have any idea how long I spent hunting those down? Most you can go out and buy in Diagon Alley but there were others that you could only buy under a blue moon!"

Narcissa looked at the shards of glass on the floor and took notice of how much of it there was. She held her hand to her mouth as the realization of what she did hit her. Beatrix had worked so hard to gather down her potions bottles and she had destroyed that hard work in a simple fit of frustration.

"I am so sorry dear. I'll repair what I can and the rest—"

"Don't," Beatrix whispered. "I don't want your help."

"But I want—"

"I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP!" Beatrix screamed. "LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID! YOU DESTROYED MY ROOM TO FIND MY POTIONS BOOK AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID! YOU RUINED MY POTIONS COLLECTION! YOU RUINED MY LIFE! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

Narcissa was rooted to the floor. Beatrix had never talked to her like that before and it scared Narcissa beyond belief. Her hands were shaking as she reached out to her daughter, but Beatrix shot up and out of reach.

"Bea, please, let me explain," Narcissa pleaded.

"Explain what? That you were hunting down my potions book? OK, fine. But _why?_ _Why_ were you looking for it? What were you going to do with it?"

"I-I…" Narcissa didn't have an answer. She couldn't tell Beatrix she was looking for the book so she could destroy it. That she wasn't her real daughter, that her entire life had been a lie. She sighed, defeated, and shook her head.

"That's what I thought," Beatrix growled. "Get out of my room."

"Bea. Bea, please."

"No! Get out of my room! Get out!"

"Bea, please listen to me. I love you! I—"

"You _love_ me?! You _love_ me? How could you destroy my entire life and then claim that you _love_ me?"

"Because I was angry! I couldn't find that damn book and I just needed to vent my frustration! I just grabbed the first thing I could find. I am so sorry baby."

"Why were you looking for it in the first place?" Beatrix asked. "You don't brew your own potions, and you _claim _you don't know about whatever is written in it. So why could you possibly need it?"

_She's too smart for her own good,_ Narcissa thought. _She'll have everything figured out by third year_.

Lost in her thoughts, Narcissa didn't notice that her daughter had managed to read her thoughts. Not only had Ella been teaching her to use wandless magic, but she had been showing her the basics of Occlumency and leglimency.

"I'll have what figured out?" Beatrix asked. Her curiosity was peaked, but the expression on Narcissa's face worried her.

"How did you—? Is Ella teaching you leglimency?"

"Yes, but what will I have figured out?"

"No!" Narcissa shouted. "You will not drag this out of me! I have protected you for far too long for this to be ruined! You need to stop sticking your nose in places where it doesn't belong. You might not like what you discover."

"You've _protected_ me? Protected me from what? What have I to fear?"

"No! No! I refuse to answer that! You will not drag this out of me!"

"TELL ME!" Beatrix screamed.

"You don't know how lucky you are to be here," Narcissa hissed. "If I hadn't convinced your father you'd be safe here—"

"Don't drag Father into this! What does he have to do with anything?"

"You really have no idea, do you?" And in that moment, Narcissa wanted to tell her. She wanted Beatrix to know how she had been protected and saved, who her real family was, and why she was so different from the rest of the Malfoy's. She opened her mouth to speak but she was cut off.

"Cissa, don't," Lucius said. Narcissa turned to face her husband, who was lingering in the doorway, her eyes full of sorrow, fear, and anger.

"Why not Lucius? She—"

"Is eleven and is far too young," Lucius interrupted. He walked toward his wife and squeezed her shoulders. "Go. Leave, so that you both can calm down and so I can have a word with Beatrix." He shoved her out of the room before she could comment and shut the door in her face. He cast a quick silencing charm so Narcissa wouldn't be able to hear if she decided to stay outside the door. Lucius turned back to Beatrix, who was carefully picking up the glass shards from her floor.

"Beatrix, don't do that the Muggle way," he scolded. "Here." He cast a reparo charm and fixed the salvageable bottles. The rest were organized into piles of each bottle type to take to Diagon Alley to see if they might be able to be repaired by a wizard with more experience in potions. When Lucius looked up from his handiwork, Beatrix was sitting cross-legged on her bed, examining her hands. Sitting down next to her, Lucius discovered she had some cuts across her palms from handling the glass. Lucius sighed and gently took one of her small hands in one of his large ones. Holding her hand palm-side up, he cast a simple healing charm and the cuts closed. He repeated the same spell with her other hand but he held onto it instead of legging go.

"Beatrix, I apologize for your mother's behavior. I apologize for what she did to your collection."

"I thought a Malfoy never apologized," Beatrix spat. She tried to wrench her hand away but her father's grip was like iron.

"Now is not the time for your sass Beatrix," Lucius growled. "I remember what I said; there is no need for you to remind me." They glared at each other before Lucius continued. "Your mother loves you very much. More than you can understand and appreciate at the moment. I heard you say that you hated her. Do you?"

"No," Beatrix said, sheepishly looking down at their hands.

"I could tell how much that hurt your mother's feelings. Please don't say you hate her, or anyone for that matter, unless you mean it."

"But I _did_ hate her. Well, I did then. Now I'm just angry and sad."

"I understand. But it's not the same when it's in the heat of the moment. When you truly hate someone you feel it through your entire body. Just thinking of that person makes your insides clench. Do you know anybody who makes you feel that way?"

"Yes!" Beatrix nodded eagerly. "This Ravenclaw girl, Cho Chang. She's really pretty and smart and all the boys like her. I don't. I find her annoying and stupid. She always asks questions she should know the answer to. I think she does it for the attention."

"Is that how you feel toward your mother?"

"No. I love Mum. I was just so angry I thought I hated her."

"Good," Lucius nodded. "Now, let's go see how your mum's doing. And maybe you two can talk without yelling. OK?"

"OK," Beatrix sighed. They stood and moved to the door until Beatrix put a hand on her father's arm. "Father, do you know why Mum was looking for my potions book? I never did get an answer from her."

Without missing a beat, Lucius answered, "Because I didn't want her to get it in the first place. I knew you would try to brew some potions far beyond your level of magic. She insisted you wouldn't, so she went to find your book to prove herself right."

"How would finding my book prove I wasn't brewing potions?"

"You make notes in your books, Beatrix. Adjusting the ingredient ratios, brewing time, and using different types of measurements. You adjust your potions to make them better than the book versions. _That_ is how we know if you're brewing."

Beatrix thought on her father's words and realized it was true. She would begin making a potion by the book, but it almost always turned out completely wrong. She would adjust each time she brewed her potions until she perfected them, writing notes in the margins along the way. She went to grab her book from its hiding place and presented it to her father.

"Here Father. I haven't been brewing potions beyond my magical capability. See for yourself."

Lucius took the book from her hands and flipped through the pages, looking but not looking at what was on them. Satisfied, he handed Beatrix her book back, which she promptly hid again.

"Why do you hide it?" Lucius asked. At her father's words, Beatrix revealed the book again, wanting to hold its weight in her hands as she answered.

"I guess so I won't try to brew any of the potions, but also to keep it safe and preserved." She looked at her book as she thought, _Actually, I don't want Mum to get a hold of it because of her reaction to me telling her about the hidden message. What does "Accepted the truth" even mean in context to the rest of the message?_

Lucius nodded and held the bedroom door open for her. Beatrix walked through, clutching the book to her chest, and nodded to her father. She was in full-on Malfoy mode for some odd reason, but she was able to maintain a calm, controlled façade all the way to the study. Narcissa was sitting on the rug in front of the fireplace, her knees pulled into her chest. She looked so vulnerable and hurt; it broke Beatrix's heart.

"Mum?" Narcissa turned slightly so she could see her daughter in the corner of her eye. Beatrix walked over to her mother and sat down next to her. Lucius remained in the doorway, keeping a respectable distance while also staying close enough to quickly intervene if necessary.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was just really, really angry. Father repaired what he could, but the rarer bottles will need to be bought again. I'm sorry, Mum. I don't hate you, I don't. I was just angry." Narcissa tenderly wrapped her arms around her daughter, hugging her gently yet holding her tightly to her body.

"Father explained everything," Beatrix said as she returned her mother's hug. Narcissa froze. After Lucius told her not to tell, he went and did it anyway?

"And… How did you take it?" she asked, almost dreading the answer.

"It was so simple I'm surprised I didn't figure it out myself."

So, after eleven years, it was suddenly all over. Tears came to Narcissa's eyes as she listened to her daughter's—Severus's daughter's—words.

"It all makes sense now, why you wanted the book, why you got so frustrated when you couldn't find it, and why Father wanted to see it so badly. I made a promise Mum, and I intend to keep that promise."

"And what promise is that?" Narcissa asked, maintaining a level of dignity and successfully keeping her voice from wavering.

"To not brew any of the potions in my book until my magic is stronger. I brought my book to prove to you that I wasn't." She handed the book over and Narcissa held it gingerly, not wanting to destroy it like she did the vials. "There aren't any notes in there, no writing to speak of. Well, except my name on the inside cover."

Narcissa sighed in relief. Relieved that Lucius hadn't told Beatrix about her true parentage, relieved that he knew Beatrix enough to tell her a believable lie, relieved that Beatrix had forgiven her, but mainly relieved that Beatrix was still hers. She sat the book on the floor and hugged Beatrix tightly.

"Thank you for calming down enough to listen. I am so sorry for what I did to your potion bottles though. I will replace the ones that aren't repairable. You'll just have to give me specific instructions on how to do that."

"Of course Mum," Beatrix smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>So, Happy Halloween everyone! I figured what better day than today to update this story? I am dressed as Beatrix today as well! Well, as Beatrix as I can get with short hair, but at the very least I have Snape's wand! I am also sorry for not updating for so long. Like I said before, there was so much I wanted to write but I had to limit myself and then I lost my muse completely, but then I got on tumblr and I found some muses. I've made a lot of cool friends through tumblr, and AO3 as well. This story is up on AO3 as well, my username is the same as it is here. Oh, and for those of you with a tumblr, my URL is the same as my username as well. I'm pretty much going to be using TearStainedAshes for everything now, so I'll be pretty easy to find.<strong>

**I really hope to update this story a lot sooner than before, but if I don't feel free to shoot me an ask over on tumblr. Go ahead and demand a new chapter. It makes me smile to know that my story is being read and enjoyed :)**

**Next chapter the girls return to Hogwarts and I'll be jumping around a lot from there. I'm trying to build up to the moment when things start falling into place and someone will make a revelation about a very special relationship.**

**Until then my readers!**

**TSA**


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